Clash of Destiny
by Literature's Hanafuda
Summary: Genesis, goddess of order; Tsukuyomi, god of destruction. Both deities are in an eternal feud to claim the world as theirs. However, they must gather warriors from all realms that would represent their factions. The "Battle for the Realms" will begin soon...
1. Prologue: Genesis Prepares

_This tale speaks of the epic battle between the light of order and the darkness of destruction…_

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - The Prelude_

 _Genesis, goddess of order…_

 _Tsukuyomi, god of destruction…_

 _Both deities were in an eternal feud against each other to see who would be the one to claim the world as theirs._

 _But they knew that a battle between one and the other would cause irredeemable chaos to the environment around them._

 _So, in order to make measurements, just so that there would be no harm to the world,_

 _They both gathered heroes and villains alike to represent their factions._

 _Genesis called her heroes "The Bearers of Hope",_

 _While Tsukuyomi named his villainous pawns "The Bringers of Despair"._

 _Thus, they both began preparations for the incoming "Battle for the Realms"._

 _*Music stops*_

Realm of Genesis – Goddess' Pad

Genesis, the goddess of order, was resting in her pad; it was a room that was illuminated by the window overlooking an expanse of land that had a nearby town – currently deserted –. Walls painted in sky blue were what surrounded the lonely goddess, who was sitting on the bed beside the window. She was sitting behind the curtains of her luxurious bed, looking through the window, thinking about the current situation that was being presented to her.

Genesis had the appearance of a beautiful woman with long black hair reaching to the upper part of her back and wearing a long white dress, without sleeves that could cover her slender arms, which reached and covered her bare feet.

Genesis was thinking about what her enemy, Tsukuyomi, told her: "This Battle for the Realms will have warriors from both sides competing against each other, with the victor claiming the land as theirs." She was worrying a bit too much about the upcoming epic battle that would seal the fates of many people.

 _Distant Worlds – Terra's Theme_

She started talking to herself about the warriors she chose for this fight that would support her cause: The "Bearers of Hope". She began mentioning each of their names individually in a soft manner.

"Terra Branford… Noel Vermillion… Sora… Akira Kurusu… Morgana… Ryo… Shulk… Link… Arle Nadja… Carbuncle… Dust… Fidget… Ori… Sein… All of you will be destined to fight a great battle that would determine not only your fates, but also of the worlds you will have to protect."

The preparations began once she concluded her short speech… These heroes would be destined for greater battles indeed.


	2. Terra Branford: Internal Conflict

_"I am not a puppet..."_

 _"Father..." "Why build when it will only be destroyed? Why cling to life knowing that you will have to die?"_

 _"We live to protect what we hold dear."_

 _"Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!"_

 _"And have you found your "joy", in this dying world of mine?"_

 _"Yes!_

 _"You make me sick... it's like listening to the world's worst self-help booklet!"_

 _"But what fun is destruction if none of your so-called "precious" lives are lost?"_

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - Awakening_

Realm of Genesis - Meadow of Beginnings

A girl, who seemed to be in her older teenage years, woke up in a grassy meadow, surrounded by flowers of different colors. After opening her eyes, the morning sunlight hurt her vision, making her see a blurry image of what was happening. She stood up and saw that she was alone. She couldn't remember about yesterday, to her dismay.

The girl in particular was beautiful, having emerald green wavy hair tied back in a ponytail, a red blouse with red sleeves that weren't connected, some pieces of purple and white strings of cloth tied around her waist like a loose belt, white tight pants with red spots and red boots.

She was confused, startled even, at the sight of an unknown location. She remembered laying on a bed at night before going to sleep, but now she wakes up and she asks to herself: Where in the world am I now?

In the distance, the lonely girl saw a nearby town and decided that it was her first destination after arriving to this new strange world and ran to the aforementioned location.

Realm of Genesis - Town of the Invited

 _Persona 5 Music - Beneath the Mask (Instrumental)_

The girl arrived to the town's entrance, wich was a stone arc leading to a pathway of dirt surrounded by small grass. She noticed something unusual: there were no townspeople walking around in sight. Maybe the place was a ghost town and she must have picked the wrong place to stop by. However, she decided to investigate by stepping towards the pathway of dirt.

She saw what a town should at least cont on: houses made of stone bricks, shops made of strong wood, an inn (wich was taller than what she expected) holding who-knows-how-many rooms, a pub, and its most unusual spot: a food joint.

The stranger the place became to her when she saw an arena in the vicinity, a clock tower marking 7:10 in the morning, a bathing house, and what looked like some sort of school. It mattered not to the girl. What mattered the most was finding at least one living soul inhabitting the area.

"Excuse me, miss."

She heard a voice coming from the left. Success! A man who lived in this town!

The girl looked to the left and saw a person dressed in a blue robe and wearing a pointy yellow hat that hid his face under a shadow and glowing yellow eyes. The girl identified the passerby as a Black Mage.

"Oh." She said startled. "Sorry, but I wasn't expecting someone to show up out of nowhere. But, anyways, good morning." She greeted the wizard.

"Good morning to you, miss!" The Black Mage greeted back. "Say, what is someone like you doing in this place?" He asked the girl.

She answered politely. "I was just investigating the place, that's all. I thought I arrived to a ghost town. Are there any more people around?"

"Why, of course!" He said in a cheerful manner. "But I'm afraid that there aren't many people around, per se. May I ask your name, if it doesn't bother you much?"

"My name is... Terra Branford." The girl introduced herself to the mage.

"Pleased to meet you, miss Terra." The Black Mage bowed cordially to Terra. "I believe you could use a little tour."

"Oh, I would gladly like to be guided around. I have just arrived a few minutes ago." She was indeed curious about the town she was in, so a tour guide would be the least of her worries. Unfortunately, she saw a strange light coming from a stairway that seemingly lead to the sky.

 _*Music stops*_

The staircase was located to the north of town, and she saw a light coming down from the top. The stairs, in particular, were made of glass.

"Sorry," Terra began, "but the tour will have to wait a little longer, mister."

"Don't worry, miss," the Black Mage reassured her, "I will be waiting for you to return."

"Very well, then." She nodded to the mage and began walking to the north. Once she reached the staircase, she began her path to what looked like a heavenly paradise and climbed the stairs. "What could be happening now?" Terra asked to herself while ascending.

Realm of Genesis - Goddess' Pad

 _Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories Music - Naminé_

Once Terra reached the light beneath the sky, she saw tha she was now in a sky blue room with only a bed behind an open window. She saw that there was a woman with long black hair and a white dress sitting on that same bed, its curtains open. The woman in question looked directly at Terra, as if she was awaiting for her expected arrival. Terra approached the woman and stopped in front of her. The woman spoke first to the young girl.

"Welcome to my abode, Terra Branford," she greeted.

Terra was startled that a stranger like that woman knew her name beforehand. "Huh? What? How do you know about me!?"

"No need to panic, child. I have seen your past actions from this room. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Genesis, goddess of order."

"A goddess..." Terra muttered to herself, "Tell me, then. Did you call me here? I think you know all about me if you say so."

"You may be right by saying that I was the one who called you to my domain, and you are correct," Genesis told her visitor, "I intend to gather other warriors that would like to help my cause. You are the first of them to arrive. These warriors would be the "Bearers of Hope" and they shall be the heroes who will save this realm from Tsukuyomi, god of destruction."

"I see," Terra said, as she seemed to understand the situation. "You're saying that I'll take part of a conflict that wil involve me cooperating with other people to save this world, right?"

"Correct," the goddess said, "but, in order to defeat Tsukuyomi, you must enter his realm and fight him in his resting place. However, you do not possess the means of entering his realm. For that, you and your companions must defeat first the "Bringers of Despair", who are Tsukuyomi's pawns. By defeating them and finding your resolve, you will obtain a treasure called a Hope, the means of entering the enemy's realm."

"Okay," Terra said, "I think I understand fully now."

Genesis continued speaking. "That is all I have to tell you for now. It seems that some new warriors have now arrived to the town."

"..." Terra was silent for a moment. Her face was looking down to the floor. She finally asked Genesis, "You know, Genesis, I feel that something is missing. I feel like I forgot something."

"Oh, I forgot to mention about..." Genesis paused for a few seconds before resuming, "...the Blanks."

"H-huh? Blanks?"

"I saw it for myself, Terra; the Blanks are creatures born from the memories that Tsukuyomi stole from you. He even gave them a body so that they would fight you until they defeated you, stopping your progress completely by erasing you from existence."

Terra gasped. "No..." she said. Surely, she would never want to stop existing in the next moment after being defeated by a creature like a Blank. She got back to the point. "So if I defeat a Blank, a part of my memory will come back?"

"Yes, child," Genesis told Terra, "I see that you are conflicting yourself about your memory. Do not worry. Once you find your resolve, it will all be clear."

"...Fine. If that's the way it has to be, I'll just follow the path you set for me. Bye." And with that, Terra started to walk back to the exit of the room as Genesis gave her farewells to the "Bearer of Hope".

As Terra was walking down the stairs back to the town, she had an internal speech in her mind.

"(I might be scared of what's to come, and I might be hesitant about this conflict, but I have to do my best in order to get my memory back from this Tsukuyomi monster. In the meantime, I'll just see who these new warriors are. They might make good friends.)"

Indeed, Terra would be meeting friendly people when she arrived back to the town. What destiny awaited these warriors?


	3. Noel Vermillion: Azure

_"Open your eyes, Tsubaki!"_

 _"Captain Hazama is a dangerous man."_

 _"I... will... no longer... obey your orders!"_

 _"Aww, I got dumped. That hurts me, Noel. Right here. Well, the truth is, I don't really need you anymore..."_

 _"Saya..."_

 _"Nox Nyctores..."_

 _"As long as the Successor to the Azure exists... Any dream will be denied. Those with strong desires will come for your life. You will become an enemy of all the chosen... all the world."_

 _"Witness your friends turn on you. And deny this world in your own despair. Heh heh heh..."_

 _"(I need to take back what I've lost...)"_

Realm of Genesis - Town of the Invited

 _BlazBlue Music - Flos_

There was a girl, stopping in front of the town's stone arc entrance. She was thinking about how in the name of the NOL she woke up in a meadow of flowers. Sure, it was pretty, but it was wierd to wake up not in a normal bed, but in a bed of flowers. She should be in her room in the morning, but that wasn't the case, sadly.

The girl in particular had long blond hair, wearing what looked like a pair of blue pins on both sides of her head, round emerald green eyes, a military uniform with a coat that looked like a cape with red strings tied behind her, a red tie, a white blouse without sleeves that didn't cover her belly, a pair of white gloves, a pair of red holsters crossed behind her, a belt, a short blue skirt, black tights and blue boots.

The girl entered the town with the thought of knowing a bit more about the world she found herself trapped in, as she said to herself.

When she entered the town, she saw someone in a nearby shop. She decided to go in and investigate.

Town of the Invited - Gallery of the Bargainer

She entered the shop, but saw no customers. She saw the clerk, at least. She was relieved that the place wasn't a ghost town. She walked in front of the clerk's table and spoke to him. "Good morning, sir. Um, sorry, but do you know where-"

She was interrupted when she saw the clerk's appearance more clearly. The clerk was actually a creature with an antenna with a red ball, pointy ears, closed eyes, a big red nose, white fur, short limbs and bat wings. "Yes, kupo?" the clerk asked his customer.

"..." She was silent. She never saw a creature like that back home. She was awestruck by his appearance, but got back to the point, "Oh, uh, I wanted to know what this place is," she told the shop's clerk.

"Oh, yes, kupo! Welcome to a place they call the "Town of the Invited", kupo! This shop is what they call the "Gallery of the Bargainer", kupo! Feel free to look around, kupo!"

"Thanks for the info, sir," she told the clerk. With that, she was walking around the shop, looking at different items that were on sale. She saw there were some potions, herbs, medicines and tools. She was intrigued when she saw something that looked like a pinwheel imbued with some sort of magic spell. She thought it wasn't different than ars magus, so she decided to grab it and ask the clerk about it. "This looks interesting. What's it for?"

"That may look like a normal Pinwheel, kupo," the clerk told his customer, "but it's useful to cast a wind attack on an enemy, kupo! Just swing it around and it'll work its magic, kupo!"

"That sounds nice," the girl said, "How much for it?"

"150 gil, kupo!"

"...Gil? I don't know about the currency of this place, sadly."

"You don't have a single gil, then, kupo?"

"I'm afraid not. Sorry..."

"Don't worry, kupo. You can buy it some other time, kupo," he reassured to the girl.

"Okay." She put the Pinwheel back to where it was before she grabbed it.

"Come back soon, kupo!" the clerk told the girl, who was now leaving the shop.

"Why did that cute creature kept saying "kupo"?" she asked to herself as she returned to the town.

 _*Music stops*_

Realm of Genesis - Town of the Invited

After exiting the shop, the girl saw another girl with emerald hair coming from the north, having descended from a staircase that leaded to the sky above. She decided to walk to the north and speak to the new person. "Hi there."

"Hey," she spoke back, "It's nice to meet someone like you here. Tell me, are you one of those warriors Genesis spoke to me about?"

"Huh?" the blond girl said in confusion, "Who's Genesis? And who are you, in the first place?"

"Oh, of course, I haven't told you my name. I am Terra Branford. And you are...?"

"Noel Vermillion." They were formally introduced now. "Nice to meet you," Noel said while nodding to Terra.

 _Kingdom Hearts I.5 HD ReMIX Music - Traverse Town_

"Nice to meet you, too, Noel," said Terra, "Oh. Genesis is the goddess who will assemble warriors to form the "Bearers of Hope" so that we could save the world from Tsukuyomi, the god of destruction," she explained to Noel.

"I see," said Noel, who understood every word.

"How about if we go on a tour around this town? That way we could get to know each other better." Terra suggested to her new friend.

"Sounds great! And we could eat something together!" said Noel in excitement.

"Alright. Let's get going." And they were off to take a tour around town.

Town of the Invited - Fountain of Reunion

Terra and Noel were at the central part of the town, where there was a fountain. They saw the Black Mage Terra had met earlier and requested him to take them around every place there was.

They first started with the "Inn of Resting", a massively tall building that could hold so many rooms for so many guests. Terra and Noel decided to rest the night there.

Then they were introduced to a restaurant called the "Glutton's Gallery", a food joint that served several different kinds of recipes, like foreign and traditional tastes.

Next was the "Academy of the Seeker", a school that could teach some new techniques to students who would like to be taught a lesson.

Then there was the "Colisseum of the Challengers", an arena where three people can participate to fight hordes of monsters and grow stronger with every fight.

And finally, there was the "Tower of Everflowing Time", a clock tower that displayed the current hour: 7:45 in the morning. It was also a place where people could go up to look at the marvelous sight of the overworld.

The tour was finished, and Terra, along with Noel, gathered together in front of the "Glutton's Gallery" and talked about what to eat. They decided to enter and see what was on the menu.

Town of the Invited - Glutton's Gallery

 _Persona 5 Music - What's Going On_

The interior of the restaurant had numerous round tables covered under a white mantle each with four seats per table. There was a kitchen on the far left of the joint, with the entrance greeting its guests with a red carpet floor. Each table was decorated with a vase filled with water that would keep the rose in it healthy. Noel and Terra were amazed at how luxurious they thought the place was. They both decided to take the seats of a table located in the middle area.

"Well, then," Terra said as she looked through the pages of the menu, "let's see if there is something that can impress me with its taste."

"Hmmm..." Noel took her time looking at the different delicacies that the restaurant had available. One page had sandwiches, another had salads, and then there were desserts. "I think I'll have a pork sandwich this time," she said as she decided what to eat.

""This time"?" Terra asked as she thought of the last two words as unusual. "What do you mean?"

Noel explained to Terra about what food she prefers. "I don't usually eat that much meat whenever I'm in a restaurant back home. It's just that it might not do any good to me."

"So you eat vegetables more often than meat?"

"Kinda. But I also like sweet treats, like tarts!"

"That sounds nice. Well, maybe I'll try eating something small, like some slider burgers. Not bad, I must say."

They were prepared to order their food as Noel called the waiter, who was the typical man wearing a tuxedo. After the waiter took the girls' orders, they decided to talk while the chefs cooked their desired food.

Noel began by talking about the shop clerk back at the "Gallery of the Bargainer". "You won't believe this, Terra, but I saw this cute creature with a red nose, white fur and bat wings running a shop nearby!"

"Oh," Terra probably knew something, so she responded, "you mean you saw a moogle running a shop?"

"Is that what they're called?" Noel was unfamiliar about what a "moogle" was, since she didn't see anything of the sort back home.

"They're these adorable intelligent creatures that are friendly to anyone and everyone. Just you wait until you see a bunch of them gathered together! They make me blush!" Terra covered her mouth with her clenched hands at the thought of a crowd of moogles gathered around.

"Well, if they're friendly, then they might just help anyone. And why do they keep saying "kupo" all the time?"

"Don't worry, that's just the way they talk, that's all," Terra explained to Noel.

"Maybe I can have one as a pet one day." Noel considered the idea.

"Oh, surely they'll make a best friend!" Terra exclaimed with a smile.

 **Noel and Terra have formed a new bond together!**

"Oh, look, our food's ready," Noel said, looking behind and seeing the waiter holding their orders. "Time to dig in!"

"Alright!"

 _*Music stops*_

 _A while later..._

 **Nighttime - 8:40 p.m.**

Realm of Genesis - Inn of Resting - Noel's Room

 _Kingdom Hearts - 358/2 Days Music - At Dusk, I Will Think Of You_

The night came, and Noel headed for the room that had a number that matched the one imprinted on the key that the clerk gave her, not before saying her farewells to Terra and parting ways to their corresponding rooms.

Noel's room in particular was luxurious. It had a bed covered under a red blanket, a night table placed on the right side of that same bed, a wooden table and a refined chair for when teatime approached, since there was a fancy set with a teapot and a cup, and a window on the left side of the room that overlooked the starry night sky.

Noel felt that she was back home, but the scenery outside the window told her that she was still trapped in this new world, a strange and beautiful one, she thought. Her room simply reminded her of the old days in the student dorms back at NOL headquarters...

NOL... Why was she thinking about something like that...?

Then it came to her...

"NOL...? Wait, I think I know about that."

Then she realized something... odd... She was certain that she had memories from before arriving to Genesis' world, but all she had left was...

 _"Major Kisaragi..."_

 _"Oh, hey, Noellers!"_

 _"Take-Mikazuchi?"_

 _"Noel Vermillion, if you dare resist, your punishment shall be death!"_

 _"Six Heroes..."_

 _"Oh, miss Vermillion!"_

 _"Hey, Carl!"_

 _"Ragna..."_

 _"Murakumo..."_

 _"Azure Grimoire..."_

 _"_ _ **EEEEEHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ _"_

Noel snapped out of her thoughts after hearing a familiar maniac laughing, his voice echoing in her mind. Who were those voices in her head? She had no recollection of anyone, sadly.

"What on earth was that? Something I forgot?" she asked to herself. The question would be left unanswered for the time being.

Noel decided to stare at the beautiful scenery outside the window. The moon was glowing blue, its crescent phase showing. She also saw the meadow, just as pretty as when she woke up on it in the morning. A person caught her attention; this person was just outside the inn, standing motionless, staring into space. All of a sudden, the person stared directly into Noel's emerald eyes, startling her.

 _BlazBlue Music - RUN_

Out of a cue, the stranger jumped to the window and entered the room, making Noel trip back in shock.

"Woah!" Noel saw the stranger standing in front of her, with eyes wide open. The girl was shocked even more by the stranger's appearance.

The stranger in particular looked exactly like Noel, except that every single feature looked like it was covered in sapphire, including the hair being a shade of sky blue. It was an enemy known as the "Successor Replica".

"Wait, that's..." Noel was speechless at the sight of the enemy drawing a pair of large white guns and pointing one to her face. She finished her sentence. "...me!?"

A battle began, and they were, in a flash of light, transported to another dimension.

Altar

 _BlazBlue Calamity Trigger Music - Bullet Dance_

They were both transported to a platform with a giant rectangular gray object in the middle of the background, with a yellow clouded sky.

Noel had no choice but to fight against the Successor Replica that was tasked to erase the heroine. She drew her guns, Bolverk, from her holsters and as she was ready, she said, "If I have to fight, I won't hesitate anymore!"


	4. Sora: Friends In My Heart

_"I'm not afraid of the darkness!"_

 _"Kairi!"_

 _"Sora..."_

 _"You care about them? More than your old friends?"_

 _"I made... a promise."_

 _"A promise I made to Naminé to keep her safe. Maybe my memories are fake. But the promise is real to me. That's why ─ I'll keep it."_

 _"All for one, and one for all!"_

 _"You make a good other."_

 _"My friends, they are my power!"_

 _"Kingdom Hearts..."_

 _"Yes, Sora, extract more hearts!"_

 _"Got it memorized?"_

 _"Kairi, remember what you said before? I'm always with you too. I'll come back to you, I promise!"_

 _"I know you will!"_

Town of the Invited ─ Inn of Resting

In one of the rooms at the Inn of Resting, the setting was pretty messy, with a bed under a window that overlooked the scenery, a bedlamp with some fish circling around it, a huge chain, and other features that made the design unique from every other room in the building.

Of course, the room wasn't empty, since there was someone sleeping on that same bed: the guest was a boy with spiky brown hair and blue eyes, wearing an outfit that looked almost like black leather, complete with a small jacket with short sleeves over a shirt, baggy shorts, gloves, big shoes and a chain necklace with a crown figure.

The boy was fast asleep. He was tired after seeing all the marvels the town had to offer. He also met Genesis in person, and the goddess of order told him that he was one of many chosen warriors that would fight to save her realm. The boy was excited to know that he was "invited" to fight for the greater good, but he asked why he felt he forgot something, to wich the goddess informed the young hero about the Blanks being created from his memories. He thought that defeating one of these Blanks would help him remember his past, so he set himself the goal of facing them and find the Hope he needed to defeat Tsukuyomi.

But for now, he would have a good rest tonight...

Meanwhile...

Altar

 _BlazBlue Calamity Trigger Music - Bullet Dance_

Noel was fighting against the Successor Replica, the latter copying the girl's movements almost perfectly, since it was a copy of her. Noel began shooting at the enemy with Bolverk, but it was dodging every projectile with ease and came closer to its target and aimed straight at Noel's belly, to wich she dodged and moved behind her look-alike. Then it started speaking.

" _Subject name: Noel Vermillion; Code: AZURE; Stats: Balanced; Danger rank: 4; Continuing mission..._ "

"What?" Noel had no time to talk when the Successor Replica turned to look at her and began shooting again. Noel once again was quick to dodge every bullet coming from the copycat's weapons. She saw an oppening when the enemy was reloading, dashed, and began a combo.

"Und!" Noel stopped in front of the enemy and flung her gun like a boomerang and hit it from leg to chest, making it flinch for the girl to throw a second attack. "Zwei!" She spun around, shooting a bullet to the enemy's face. "Drei!" She raised her left leg and slammed it on the enemy's head, making the look-alike flinch for more seconds for Noel to use her special attack.

"Let's finish this!" Her guns morphed into a huge machine gun while the scenery got a bit darker, thrusting the weapon's tip on the enemy's belly, making it flinch in more pain. Noel took the initiative to shoot a flurry of huge projectiles, all of them hitting home while the enemy began rising from the floor with each hit. Afterwards, Noel took out some sort of missile launcher and aimed sraight to the Successor Replica to deal one more powerful shot. "Say goodbye!" Then the missile was sent flying, pushing the enemy high into the sky and crashing down at high speed to the floor.

 _*Music stops*_

The Successor Replica said its last words before it died into nothing. " _Mission failed; Damage to system: critical; Emergency shutdown initialized; Beginning shutdown..."  
_ To Noel's surprise, the enemy shattered into nothing. "What was that?" she asked to herself, "Did that thing want to finish me off? For what?"

Then in a flash of light, she was back in her room.

Inn of Resting ─ Noel's Room

Noel was a bit confused at what happened a few moments ago, but decided to rest for the night. She layed on her bed, and before going to sleep, she had so many questions in her mind. What was that enemy that looked like her? Why did it want to fight? Did this Tsukuyomi person send that robotic replica to eliminate her? Those questions would be left unanswered for now, so she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in an unknown place...

 _Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Music - Organization XIII_

"What a letdown, guys. Look! You just made some garbage out of a puppet!" said a clown figure, looking through a monitor that displayed the fight that had ocurred a few moments ago, "I can do better toys than that one!"

"At least we got to see a little ofnits potential, so there is some compensation we can give to it," said a gentleman figure nearby, "After all, we began production of these Blanks just recently. We should not be so hard on them."

A hooded figure with a glowing green eye decided to speak. "Well, they paid the price for waking up in that place: they had to forget everything that was enjoyable. Those idiots don't know what they'll go through once shit gets real."

"Unfortunately, we cannot take direct action until Tsukuyomi gives the order," said the gentleman figure, "Perhaps we should just wait a little longer after everyone has gathered."

"Well," the clown figure began, "if they want the party's preparations to last a few more days, then they're making me want to destroy something sooner than they can finish! Can I?"

"No, dumbass!" said the hooded figure, "You can't go around destroying the place without killing one of us by accident! We should just stick to the plan for now."

"Until then..." said the gentleman figure, "...we'll wait for the rest of our allies to gather. And all the while..." He looked at a younger figure, fast asleep, "... the master's vessel shall be prepared."

 _*Music stops*_

Town of the Invited ─ Fountain of Gathering

 **Morning - 6:30 a.m.**

In the fountain, the same boy who arrived to the goddess' realm last night was sitting nearby. He looked like he was waiting for someone, and indeed someone came to the gathering spot. He saw someone, stood up, and called the passerby to his location.

"Huh? Oh." Noel saw a boy calling from the fountain, waving his hand to her. She walked to the boy's location. "Hey there! You must be new around here. I'm Noel Vermillion. It's a pleasure," she greeted.

"I'm Sora. It's nice to meet you, too," said the boy, introducing himself. Then they both shook hands for a moment.

"You must be one of the "Bearers of Hope" that Genesis told me about, right?"

"I sure am!" Sora said while crossing his arms. "I'm no slouch when it comes to fighting! You'll see."

Noel then saw Terra coming to their position. "Hey, Noel. I was thinking, if..." She noticed Sora. "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there. Are you another one of our allies?"

"Yup," he said while nodding once, "Name's Sora. And you are...?"

"Terra," she said, introducing herself to the newcomer, "Pleased to meet you," she said while bowing cordially.

"Not to be rude, or anything," Sora began, "but the night I came here, I saw an arena right around the corner. Wanna go there?"

Noel agreed by saying, "I wanted to hone my skills after coming to this world, so this might be a good chance!"

"As long as the training involves opponents of our level, I'll go with you," said Terra.

"Okay," Sora began, "let's get ready to fight some bad guys!"

And the trio was off to the colisseum.

Town of the Invited ─ Colisseum of the Challengers

 _Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Music - Sora_

Having requested a moderately strong horde of enemies at the entrance's counter, the team of Sora, Terra and Noel was put in a round arena with the audience seats being occupied by different people, moogles and, unusually, some sort of silhouette hiding in the crowd. The figure was an expert at being unnoticed by any passerby in the vicinity, so no one paid attention to the stranger.

"You guys ready to beat the bad guys?" Sora exclaimed while making his weapon appear from a flash of light. The weapon in question was some sort of big key, with a yellow handle and a crown figure in its end. It was what he called the "Keyblade".

"I must fight for everyone!" Noel exclaimed while brandishing Bolverk out of the holsters in her back.

"We must fight as one if we hope to win," Terra said while brandishing a thin blade.

 _Dissidia 012 Music - FF6 - Battle 1_

The enemies came from different entrances around the arena. These enemies were a variety of birds, lizards and an unique type that Sora quickly recognized when he saw monsters that looked like imps cloaked in shadows and had glowing yellow eyes.

"Heartless!? What are they doing here?" Sora wasted no time in swinging his blade at the horde.

Noel was quick to shoot the flock of birds of prey with Bolverk, while Terra used an ice spell to freeze one of the lizards in place, since she was quite knowledgeable about a monster's weakness. She proceeded to shoot some lightning bolts to a bird that was about to attack her, defeating the enemy.

Back with Sora, he was swinging his Keyblade against the Heartless that decided to attack him, since the weapon was dreaded by their kind. Their efforts were worthless since Sora was defeating them one by one quickly, making the monsters vanish. But more of them came, much to his dismay. "They never end, do they?" he said to himself, slashing some armor-wearing Heartless.

Noel tried kicking a lizard monster away, but another bird pecked her head pretty hard. She was a little outmatched, but Terra decided to help with a lightning bolt directed to the bird enemy. "Thanks. You saved me," Noel said.

"No problem," Terra said, "We gotta do our best."

 **Terra has strengthend her bond with Noel a little.**

"Take this!" Sora yelled while impaling his weapon's tip to another Heartless, defeating it. "Who's next?"

The stranger in the cheering audience was noticing that the fighters were capable enough to beat so many enemies at once. He considered helping them, but he didn't want to be discovered as an intruder with unauthorized access to the arena, so he waited a little more.

Terra noticed that another horde of enemies were coming closer, this one having soldiers readying their artillery. "What in the world?" she asked bewildered. "I thought only monsters could fight against us in this place!"

Noel decided to butt in by saying, "I think you didn't notice that the enemies come from our homeworlds."

"Thanks for the info." They resumed their fight, with Terra shooting a fireball to a Heartless that Sora didn't notice was going to attack him from behind.

"Oh, that helps," Sora said, continuing to slash more enemies. He decided to take on the three soldiers, who were shooting at him, but the young fighter blocked all projectiles with his Keyblade. When they started reloading, Sora took the chance to charge at them and swing his weapon at them, finishing with a spinning slash that pushed them all to the ground. Strangely enough, the soldier enemies vanished into thin air. "Huh? They... dissapeared? How?"

Back with Noel, she decided to take on an incoming blue blob monster by shooting at its face with Bolverk. The bullets only made a scratch to it. "Why won't it work?"

"I'll handle this one!" Terra exclaimed, shooting a lightning bolt to the blob, making it melt in defeat. "They can be taken care of with magic. Physical attacks only tickle them," she informed Noel.

"I'll keep that in mind," Noel responded. She noticed a soldier enemy aiming his machine gun at her, and as soon as he began firing, she dodged quickly and spun behind the enemy, bashing him from behind.

It seemed that things were a bit too easy for the three fighters, the intruder thought while hiding in the audience, who was cheering for them. Perhaps they would make good pals one day.

 _*Music stops*_

"I think we're done here," Terra said. Indeed, the field was empty, except for the heroic trio standing close to each other.

There was silence for a moment... but then they heard loud steps coming nearby. Then, from one of the entrances, a mechanical monster entered the arena. Terra recognized the metallic behemoth.

"A Magitek Armor!?"

 _Dissidia Music - FF6 - The Decisive Battle_

"Be careful, everyone! That thing hits very hard!" Terra exclaimed to her allies as they all prepared to fight the monster, being piloted by another enemy soldier.

The Magitek Armor began charging its frontal cannon, and Sora took the initiative to charge to the monster while Noel ran to a safer position and Terra went to another safe spot to charge a powerful spell.

Sora simply jumped in front of the Magitek Armor and continuously slashed it to no end, but the cannon finished charging and shot a flaming beam directly at the Keyblade wielder. "Wah!"

"Sora!" Noel yelled, seeing the boy burned from the attack, but he stood his ground. "Oh, thank goodness, you're okay," she said.

"Don't worry..." Sora responded, catching his breath, "I'll be fine."

Terra used a lightning spell that would leave the enemy tank with great signs of damage in its system, since the spellcaster knew that machines would malfunction with a lightning spell that they were weak against. "Go on attacking it, guys!" she exclaimed to her allies.

"Right on it!" Sora responded, ready to slash away the enemy while Noel morphed her guns into a heavy machine gun and blasted every single bullet to the Magitek Armor.

Sora thought about casting a magic spell of his own, so he shot a lightning bolt from his Keyblade to the sky, which landed on the machine and caused great damage.

The enemy began attacking once again by firing a pair of missiles that were directed to Sora and Noel. Sora was able to dodge one missile, but Noel was a bit too slow on her pace, and got hit by the missile. "Aaah!"

"Noel!" Terra and Sora yelled to her, and both began casting healing spells, Sora doing so with his Keyblade, and Terra extending her palms to Noel.

She recieved a green light that healed her, and she stood up, ready to fight the Magitek Armor once more. "Thanks, guys," she said to her healers.

The mechanical beast was charging its cannon again, and Sora leapt into action, slashing away, while Terra concentrated in order to shoot lightning bolts from her hands and Noel shot more bullets from Bolverk. They were making a great team.

Terra saw that the cannon completed its charge and exclaimed "Run!" to her allies before anyone could be frozen by the icy beam the Magitek Armor fired.

"Let's finish this!" Sora exclaimed to his allies, and they were attacking once again in unison.

"Optic Barrel!" Noel yelled, casting a yellow glyph in midair, wich looked like Bolverk, and shot it, the glyph being casted on the monster.

"Thundara!" Terra yelled, casting lightning bolts above the enemy, wich hit home.

And Sora was ready to give the coup de grace, as he swung down his Keyblade to the Magitek Armor. "It's over!" he exclaimed.

As if on cue, the mechanical enemy was catching fire, and began exploding. The trio got away in order to save themselves from the exploding machine. Then they saw that it disappeared in a big explosion, leaving black smoke behind.

 _Dissidia AC/NT Music - Victory Fanfare (Heroes)_

"That's the power of the Keyblade!" Sora exclaimed, spinning his weapon in front of him and resting it on his shoulder.

"Phew, that was close," Noel said, putting back her guns in their holsters and moving a hand through her long blond hair.

"I'm so glad we won. If we hadn't..." Terra said, putting her left hand on her chest and looking up to the sky.

The figure noticed that the trio were working better in unison rather than doing their own thing. He asked in his mind if it was their bonds strengthening, or perhaps it was the child with the massive key uniting them. Either way, that boy meant something in the long run. Maybe, now that he saw the potential that the little boy had, he considered joining him and the other two girls.

Sora was indeed destined to connect the hearts of his new friends together in order to become stronger. After all, he was chosen not only by destiny, but by Genesis as well.


	5. Akira Kurusu: Thieves

_"Hey, this ain't like me, but... I managed to change 'cause you were here helpin' me. I got you all wrapped up in this shit, but you stayed with me 'till the bitter end. So... You didn't abandon me. So... thanks, man."_

 _"Back when I met Shiho, when she saved me... I realized that personal relationships are something to be treasured. That's why I'm not going to run away anymore. I'll face myself head on. This time, it's my turn to help someone."_

 _"I still have much to learn, but I finally painted something that I can be satisfied with. Yes. This is the true heart of humanity. The title is "Desire and Hope." What do you think?"_

 _"This time I'm not seeking anyone's praise, and I'm not trying to show off my intelligence. I simply want to fulfill my own personal goals and dreams."_

 _"Honestly... just thinking about my life without you sends chills down my spine. I would have been married to a man I don't respect... and lived a horrible life. I'm glad I can be with you instead..."_

 _"You gave me something really important. You gave me my life back. It's thanks to you that I learned I'm fine just as I am... and that I learned to trust my mom again. I was as good as dead, but you resurrected me. I'd like to use my work with the Phantom Thieves to return the favor. Not only that, I realized...! If I only act for my own sake, I won't be able to put my full effort into it anymore. But when I remember my friends... and you... it's like I'm tapping into some kind of unknown power!"_

 _"If only I had taken a look at myself and properly assessed my shogi skills. I believed that with my skills, I could overcome being treated like an idol. ...There's nothing I can say about my mother. You didn't abandon me, even after you learned baout the fixed matches... ...Now I know how encouraging it feels to have someone believe in you."_

 _"All this time, I've been looking up to the Phantom Thieves, pretending to be a collaborator... And now I'm finally able to stop pretending... Truth be told, I had given up. I accepted that I was a zero... That my existence was meaningless. But I've learned. I may not be able to change the world, but I can change myself. Whether I sulk about my inability to do anything, or hang my head high and look to the future... My perception shapes the boundaries of my world. It all comes down to what's inside my heart."_

 _"Wait, are you saying that he's the one who changed your heart? So, he's not connected with the Phantom Thieves, but is one himself...? So basically, I've been sheltering a Phantom Thief for the last six months? What the hell..."_

 _"I'm responsible for this case, yet I'm not even being allowed an interrogation!?"_

 _"Case closed. This is where your "justice" ends."_

Town of the Invited ─ Tower of Everflowing Time

 **Morning - 8:15 a.m.**

A masked figure was kneeling at the top of the clock tower. It was the same stranger who was eavesdropping on Sora, Terra and Noel a few hours ago in the Colisseum of the Challengers, observing their colective performance. This master of stealth had fluffy black hair with a lot of strands sticking out, black eyes under a small black and white mask, and a black gentleman's attire, except for the fact that he was wearing an overly long black coat and red gloves that stuck out from the other features.

"This doesn't look like the Metaverse, does it?" he said to himself.

Then, by his side, a cat with black fur, blue eyes, a yellow collar, a white muzzle, white paws and white fur on the tip of its tail sat and looked the scenery together with its owner.

"Oh. Hey, Mona," he said, "You looking like that now tells me we're not in the Metaverse... We're in another world."

"And I guess you wanna find the way home, right, Joker?" asked Mona, but "Joker" wasn't startled by a talking cat. After all, the cat was special in more ways than one.

"Maybe that can wait," said "Joker", "For now, let's see what's cooking back in that town."

Town of the Invited ─ Glutton's Gallery

 _BlazBlue Music - Flos_

The trio recieved their reward in gil, a currency used in the town, and decided to spend it in something. Since they were hungry, Sora suggested going to the Glutton's Gallery for a delicious snack.

Sora took his seat with Noel and Terra, taking a table in the left area of the joint. The Keyblade wielder looked through the menu and, after some time of looking at the different servings they had to offer, he decided to order a pork burger with barbeque sauce. Terra went for a Caesar salad and Noel set her sights on a veggie stew for lunch, and decided to eat a slice of chocolate cake for dessert.

After the waiter took their individual orders, Sora decided to start a small conversation with Noel and Terra. "So, how is it like back in your worlds? I've been hopping through a lot of places before, and this town is no different."

"Well, how can we put it?" said Noel, thinking about a good description of her homeworld. "Well, there are different cities back in my world, such as Kagutsuchi and Ikaruga."

Terra also briefly described her homeworld. "The place where I come from depends on technology called Magitek so much, you can say it's more advanced than the average setting."

"What's Magitek? Sounds cool," said Sora.

"Magitek is a hybrid form of machinery used for war," Terra informed Sora, "It combines the military's resources with the power of creatures known as Espers, all of wich live in another world. Their energy is extracted to create those machines I told you about. Remember the mech we fought earlier? That's one of the many things Magitek can do. I've seen it, but I don't remember much of it."

"That's a lot of info," said Sora, "What kind of magic or technology do you use back home, Noel?"

Noel decided to give some insight on the boy. "We use ars magus. It also combines machinery with a magic resource called siethr, from wich all magic comes from. It allows the creation of different kinds of weapons, like the ones I have, by infusing siethr into them. That way, students from the NOL, short for Novus Orbis Librarium, can learn to handle those same weapons with enough training. Or so I've heard from the teachers. Really, you don't know how hard you need to study for exams."

"That's interesting," said Sora, "Now that you're saying that, I don't know how I'll do in an exam if I need to study about magic. All I do is cast spells from my Keyblade," he said while scratching the back of his head.

"I'm sure it'll be okay," Terra reassured Sora, "you'll be fine."

"Well, if something like that ever happens, wish me luck," Sora said while smiling.

 **Sora has formed a new bond with Terra and Noel!**

"Oh, look," said Noel, looking at the direction where the kitchen was, "our food's ready."

"I can't wait to dig in!" Sora said excitedly.

A while later...

Town of the Invited ─ Fountain of Gathering

 _Persona 5 Music - Last Surprise_

In the fountain, "Joker" was fighting against an enemy that looked like Terra, except that it looked like it was covered in rubies. He was shooting bullets from what looked like a small toy gun, but the influence of the goddess' realm turned the plastic projectiles into real bullets, and hit the opponent, known as the "Phantasmal Girl".

"Grrr, how did it get here?" "Joker" asked to himself. Surely, the town was a safe haven for people to go in for shopping, eating and sightseeing, but how did a monster get in unnoticed?

The Phantasmal Girl charged straight into "Joker", making the fighter think that he was going to get bashed by the enemy, but in a flash of light, he found himslef in another location.

Magitek Research Facility

"Joker" and the Phantasmal Girl were now fighting in a place that looked like a laboratory covered in metal, with glass containers for people to be put in for tests. "What's this, a steampunk world?" "Joker" asked to himself, looking around.

The Phantasmal Girl began speaking.

" _Target name: Akira "Joker" Kurusu; Code: PHANTOMTHIEF; Stats: Balanced; Danger rank: 6; Continuing mission..._ "

Indeed, the name "Joker" was just a nickname, and the thief's real name was Akira Kurusu.

"So you have data about me, then," Akira said to the Phantasmal Girl, "Tell me who sent you!"

His demand was answered with the enemy shooting a big chunk of ice from her hands, casting an ice spell towards Akira, who dodged the attack as soon as it was about to touch him.

"Mona!" Akira yelled, calling his pet cat to battle, "Dammit, where is he when I need him?"

"You called, Joker?" Mona said from behind, running to his side, ready to aid his master. Mona looked completely different, as he had a big round head with black on the upper part and white on the lower part where his mouth was sporting a cartoony cat smile, pointy feline ears, big round eyes with blue pupils, a yellow scarf, a black attire, white hands, white feet that looked like boots, and an utility belt.

The Terra replica noticed the cat, and spoke again.

" _Target name: Morgana; Code: PHANTOMTHIEF; Stats: High Speed, High Magic, Low Defense; Danger rank: 5; Continuing mission..._ "

Indeed, just like "Joker" was Akira's nickname, "Mona" was also another nickname. Morgana was the cat's real name, wich he gave to himself, or so he thought.

The battle resumed, with Akira dashing to the Phantasmal Girl with a metallic dagger ready in his right hand. He swung it to the enemy, somehow being able to slash it, since the dagger was just a model weapon, but it was given the slashing property thanks to the influence of the world the thieves were in.

Then Morgana decided to join the slashing with a weapon of his own: a small sword, being carried over his shoulder. Morgana ran to the enemy, slicing it by jumping, raising his sword and falling back to the floor with another slash, making the Terra clone back away in pain.

The enemy attacked by shooting fireballs from its hands, wich were missing the dodgy thieves, who were too swift for the attacks to connect.

Akira took out his gun one more time and began shooting to the Phantasmal Girl, making it flinch in more pain as it was beginning to get tired that it dropped to its knees. He, along with Morgana, decided to take the chance to interrogate, with gun and a slingshot from the cat at point blank. Akira decided to begin.

"Before we shoot you to hell, tell me who were the guys who sent you to attack me."

Since the enemy felt cornered, it decided to speak for a chance at being spared. " _Accessing data... Data contains information regarding the Bringers of Despair. Awaiting request..._ "

Morgana, holding a tight grip on his slingshot, spoke. "First of all, who sent you to give us some trouble?"

" _Searching data... Orders to erase the Bearers of Hope came from... Yuuki Terumi._ "

"Then that means this Yuuki Terumi guy you speak of is one of the bad guys," said Akira, "Just, what are you, by the way?"

" _Searching data... Data regarding this unit contains information about its creation and purpose. Processing... This unit is what the Bringers of Despair call a "Blank", a copy of either side created from the memories of the Bearers of Hope. Its purpose is to fight the opposing faction and erase them from existence once their strength has been depleted._ "

"So," Morgana spoke, "in other words, these "Bringers of Despair" made you to kill us, right?"

" _Affirmative._ "

"I've heard enough," Akira said, "You're finished!"

Both thieves jumped high in the air and dashed through the enemy at incredible speed, ending its existence once they dealt enough hits to incapacitate it.

* _Music stops*_

Once the battle ended, they heard a voice coming from the shadows.

"Bravo! A round of applause for the heroic team."

"Who's there?" Akira said, trying to locate the source of the voice.

The owner of the voice came out to show himself clearly. The person was a clown with a feathered head decoration, blond hair, white makeup on his face, a painted purple smile running to both cheeks and an outfit of eccentric colors.

"Oh, what's this?" said the clown, "Am I seeing another one of those kids with those pets that have powers and can talk that always save the day? Seriously, this is getting old fast."

"What?" Akira said.

"Oopsy, forgot to introduce myself properly. It is I, the magnificent destroyer of humanity, Kefka Palazzo, at your service," exclaimed the clown, introducing himself with open arms.

"So," Morgana began, "you're one of the Bringers of Despair, right? Your little robot friend told us."

"Okay, you found me out," Kefka said, "And, about that robot, it's supposed to destroy you, not the other way around."

"Well, we got our load of problems now. For starters, we're in a place that clearly isn't our home."

"Welcome to the war, then," Kefka exclaimed with extended arms, "And before you ask, this war will decide wich side gets to win complete control of this world, so you guys better lose because I have places to destroy right now!"

"You won't get away with it," Akira responded to the psychopath clown's desire for world destruction.

"Sorry," Kefka said, waving goodbye to the thieves, "time's up. We'll meet again."

In a flash of light, the thieves were back at the fountain.

Town of the Invited ─ Fountain of Gathering

Back at the town, Akira sat on the fountain, seeing that Morgana was back to being quadrupedal and normal. He noticed the change in forms and asked about it. "Seriously, we're not in the Metaverse and you're already swapping forms. Why's that?"

"Maybe," Morgana started, "it's because of this world messing around with us? I really don't know, but we'll find out soon enough."

Akira's thoughts drifted to the current development of the events. He was in a new world, and now he was with Mona in a big war that would decide the fate of everything that existed in it. Whoever these "Bringers of Despair" were, they were definitely the bad guys. He was also reminded about something else, something about "Bringers of Hope". Perhaps he would find it best to meet them already to find out more.

In the meantime, he would wait for them, thinking about the memories of the past...

"Wait," he said, "Why do I feel like I'm forgetting a lot of things?"

Meanwhile...

 _Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Music - Organization XIII_

The gentleman figure was looking at the recent battle through a projection, paying the most attention to Akira. He was intrigued to see him where he would expect him. Near him, a demonic robed figure spoke.

"Are you watching a good show? Because I see you got yourself a good television."

"Oh," the gentleman figure spoke back, "I was just observing the battle that had ocurred a while ago. I saw something that piqued my interest, or, rather, someone."

"If that someone is very special to you, then I can't wait to see how you deal with him once you fight. I'll bring the popcorn once it happens."

The gentleman figure got closer to the projection, its light revealing his handsome face with wavy brown hair. He saw Akira with more interest and muttered silently to himself.

"I finally found you, my dear friend..."


	6. Ryo: A Human Trapped Here

_"I'll look after you! We oughta get to movin'!"_

 _"Whatever I do, I do it stylishly!"_

 _"I wanna be like those clouds. I want to race away from this village and see all kinds of places, like the clouds do. I want to meet all kinds of Pokémon... and have all kinds of wild adventures!"_

 _"It gets lonely when no one believes in you or what you say... But if you have even just one friend who'll believe you... then you'll be really happy. So, as two fellow outcasts who no one believes, why don't we start by believing in each other as friends? See? Then all we have to do is get one friend, and another, and another... And someday we'll have more friends than we can count! Just like those stars up there!"_

 _"I want you to be my friend!"_

Realm of Genesis ─ Meadow of Beginnings

 **Morning - 8:40 a.m.**

Somewhere in the meadow each of the heroes woke up on at different times, a butterfly with blue wings was flying at a leisurely pace around the flowers of the field. It stopped to rest on a sleeping creature's nose after a while. The little insect saw something was off; it decided to observe carefully the stranger's full appearance.

The nose that the butterfly was resting on belonged to a beast (wich looked a little friendly to the bug) with canine features: pointy ears, snout, paws and tail. What was bizarre for the butterfly was that the beast had blue fur, with some black parts on the eyes, hands and legs as well as light yellow fur on the chest and belly areas. More bizarre was that it had spikes on both hands and on its chest. It also had a tuft on its head with strands of blue fur sticking out of the forehead.

The blue beast was fast asleep on the meadow. The butterfly thought that this creature would play some sort of important role for the nature of the world it was in, or it would make a nice pet for someone out there.

The beast was mumbling a bit, starting to wake up, giving a cue for the butterfly to start flying around once more around the meadow.

"...Mmmm... Why does it feel so breezy? Did I sleep outside again?"

It opened its eyes, revealing eyes that were as red as a ruby.

"It's so bright out here..." Thus, he narrowed those same eyes. "What's going on? Another dream? I hope..."

He sat up, looking around for at least a living soul to be nearby. He saw nobody, to his dismay.

"Can someone explain what in the world's happening?"

He stood up, unaware that the same blue butterfly was looking at the friendly beast with a youthful voice that sounded like a teenage boy. The bug didn't expect the "dog" to stand on its hind legs like it was nothing, but to the blue stranger, it was natural. The butterfly also noticed four preturberances sticking out from the back of its head.

"Better find someone quick. I'm getting hungry."

But before he could spot the Town of the Invited, he locked his eyes on two Blanks that looked like Akira and Morgana, seemingly covered in a ruby color, the latter having his cartoony bipedal appearance. He was startled to finally see a real human being after a long time.

"Finally, someone. Hey, you know where I can find a place to eat? Or somewhere that is filled with people?"

However, since it was his first time seeing an enemy like a Blank, he was blind to the fact that it would attack the blue newcomer, who introduced himself.

"My name is Ryo. Nice to meet you. What about you?"

The Blank that looked like Akira, known as the "Cognitive Thief", began speaking.

" _Target name: Ryo; Code: ADVENTURER; Stats: Average Attack, Above-average Speed, Low Defense; Danger rank: 5; Commencing combat..._ "

"Woah, wait," said Ryo, clearly dumbfounded by the robotic terms the Cognitive Thief said, "I'm not talking to a robot."

Before he knew it, they were transported to a battlefield in a quick flash of light.

Mementos - Prision of Regression

 _Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Music - Boss Battle: Children's Adventure!_

The place that the fighters were now in looked like a prison with a red glow, with cells holding helpless people in the background, where, in the middle, there was a giant golden cup with red arterae connected to its top. Ryo was amazed at the creepy place he arrived at, but he didn't have time to observe more, for the Cognitive Thief began shooting bullets from a gun of its own.

"Hey!" Ryo shouted, blocking the bullets by crossing his arms in front of him, "I was just asking where was I, and you attack me outta nowhere!?"

The Morgana Blank rushed to Ryo with its sword ready, and slashed its target's legs harshly.

"Argh!" he yelled in pain, backing away a little, "Would you please stop it? What the heck is going on here!?"

There was no answer from neither Blank. They simply kept attacking, with the Akira Blank running to its target with a dagger in its right hand and the Morgana Blank jumping to its clueless target to face level to slash him hard.

Ryo, as soon as he saw both enemies closing on him, instinctively dashed away before he could receive the attacks. He was bewildered to see that no one was there to explain the situation to him, although he was completely oblivious to the fact that he needed to make the Blanks disappear before they could erase him from existence.

"(Seriously, what's with these guys attacking me like I'm not welcome here? I didn't do anything!)"

Meanwhile...

Town of the Invited ─ Fountain of Gathering

 _Persona 5 Music - My Homie_

"So, you're Akira Kurusu, right?" Noel asked, with the group of heroes gathered at the fountain.

Akira introduced himself to Terra, Noel and Sora, as well as Morgana, who wasn't so pleased when he was called a "pet". It had to be done for cover reasons, Akira muttered to himself. "And..." the thief said, "can you tell me what happened to get myself in this town?"

Terra decided to answer the newcomer's question. "None of us know how we got here in the first place. We just woke up here in this new world."

"Is there a way to go back?" Akira asked again.

"Maybe," Sora began, "There has to be a way back home. But for now, we have a duty."

"A duty?"

Since Morgana wanted to butt in the conversation, everyone but Akira heard a lot of meowing from the cat, wich would be translated to: "Could you be the people who are called the "Bearers of Hope", by any chance?"

"What's with the cat?" Noel asked, "It's so adorable when it does that sound."

Morgana could actually speak normal words in either form, but the one he was adopting didn't let the people who weren't Akira Kurusu know what he was actually saying, so they only heard meowing, wich translated to: "I'm not a cat! Seriously, how many times did people call me like that? I'm a human, for goodness sake!"

"Can I touch him?" Noel asked to Akira.

"He doesn't like it when he's touched by other people," he answered, "And let me translate what he's saying, 'cause you clearly don't know."

"Morgana can talk?" Sora asked, a little amazed at the little revelation.

Morgana kept meowing, translating to: "Of course, you little... I'm a special being, because I was a human before getting turned into this stupid form!"

Akira translated to the others what the "human-turned-cat" was saying.

Terra was surprised to hear a little bit about Morgana's past. "Poor thing... Don't worry, there must be a way to undo the curse."

Noel didn't believe anything. "If I remember correctly, I haven't seen people getting turned into cats before."

Sora, being a not-so-bright boy, said, "Then let's find and defeat the evil sorcerer who did this to you! I'm sure that'll turn you back to normal!"

Morgana meow'd more, translating to: "Idiot. The distortion of the Metaverse made me lose my true form in the first place! And also, my memories were lost..."

"We've also lost ours on coming here," said Noel, "but we'll get them back somehow."

"Okay," Akira said, ready to ask another question. "I've heard of these "Bearers of Hope" people before. Who are they?"

"That would be us!" Sora exclaimed, pointing to himself with a thumb with pride.

"Great. In that case, I'll join you. You seem to be working on a common goal."

"Let's all work together, then!" Terra exclaimed, happy for the fact that a new hero had joined them.

 _Persona 5 Music - The Spirit_

 _I am **thou**... Thou art I...  
Thou hast acquired a new **vow**..._

 _It shall become the **wings** of rebellion  
that breaketh the **chains** of captivity..._

 **Akira and Morgana have forged a new bond with Terra, Noel and Sora!  
**

 _*Music stops*  
_

Back with Ryo...

Mementos - Prison of Regression

 _Persona 5 Music - Keeper of Lust_

While the Cognitive Thief, along with its helper, was shooting at its target, Ryo was dodging every shot with his agile feet. He was also having a hard time trying to negotiate with his assailants, since they wouldn't listen to a single word he exclaimed to them. It also didn't help that he was having his first encounter with a Blank. In his mind, he was having so many questions.

"(What is this? Why do I have to fight against someone that isn't a Pokémon? Is this guy even human? Why did he have to speak like a robot?This is insane...)"

He didn't have any other better course of action. All he could do was dodge every bullet the enemies shot to the blue creature. Unfortunately, he was getting exhausted, and it was a good sign for the Cognitive Thief.

" _Enemy's stamina is lowering quickly. Chance of victory has increased to 56 percent._ "

"(56? That doesn't sound like a good sign! What can I do?)"

A voice rang inside Ryo's mind... It was Genesis, speaking to him with her power.

" _Child, do not fear..._ "

"Huh?" Ryo said surprised, stopping in his tracks, "Who's there? Another enemy?"

" _No... I am Genesis, goddess of order, and I shall guide you... That wich you see is an enemy, a Blank. Its purpose is to erase you from existence._ "

"What!? But I thought only Pokémon wanted a challenge, not this robot!"

" _You sound confused, child... Fear not, for you must gather your strength and courage in order to fight the enemy that stands before you..._ "

"Okay," he said, mustering up his courage, as Genesis told him, preparing to fight, "If this guy wants to pick a fight with me, he picked on the wrong guy to do so." He raised his black fists in front of him, prepared to fight.

The Cognitive Thief decided to do something else other than shoot or swing its dagger. It called upon the power within, casting a dark spell. Its companion was preparing a wind spell as well.

" _Cast: Eiha_ ," it said, as a dark red ripple of distortion surrounded Ryo for a few moments, but it only did a scratch to him, since darkness attacks were halved in damage due to his fighting spirit protecting him.

"Really? Darkness?" he said, "You'll need more than that."

The Morgana Blank casted a small whirlwind on Ryo, also doing a scratch, due to parts of his body being made of steel.

"This is gonna be a breeze." He rushed to the enemies, swinging his right fist at the Cognitive Thief's face, making it back away in pain. Ryo then kicked the enemy straight on its upper body, pushing it to make it fall to the floor. He also kicked aside the smaller Blank. He walked to the enemy, seeing it slowly standing up and preparing his hands by igniting blue flames on his palms. Once the Blank was about to stand up straight, Ryo thrusted his hands forward, pushing the enemy with a small explosion coming out of his black hands. He saw the enemy was no longer moving, and he thought he won the battle, wich was true, much to his relief.

 _*Music stops*_

The Cognitive Thief shattered and disappeared from existence, as well as the smaller Blank. Ryo sighed in relief after the battle was over. One thing was in his mind, though.

"(Now how do I get back to that grassy field?)"

As if on cue, a quick flash of light transported Ryo back to the meadow.

Meanwhile...

 _Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Music - Organization XIII_

" Another one bites the dust! " Kefka sung, seeing that the Blank was defeated, just like the previous ones.

"Now they're getting on my nerves..." said the hooded figure.

"Oh, relax, snakey. You just wait until we get to destroy them!"

"He is right for once, Terumi," said the young gentleman, revealing his uniform, wich belonged to a school from his world, "We must not be so hasty, lest we end up ruining the plan. We are only running tests to see how well these Blanks perform."

"But the mass producing of that shit is just bugging me," said Yuuki Terumi, revealed to be a man with a yellow hood that obscured his green spiky hair and one eye, and wearing a gentleman's tuxedo, with the area of the chest untucked.

"Don't rush it, pal," said the demonic figure, "Once we have fabricated enough units, we can have fun with some of the girls out there."

"You sound like a pervert," said Terumi, clearly offending the demon in the room.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Kefka began, "We have a surprise guest joining our circle of friends anytime soon! Isn't it wonderful to hear that?"

"A new member for the Bringers of Despair..." said the young gentleman, "We shall see how he does here with us."

"What's the matter? Is sketchy Akechi worrying about the new friend's welcoming party?" asked Kefka, referring the question to the handsome boy.

"No, it's nothing important," said Goro Akechi.

"Is that so? Last time I checked, I saw you a little down in the slums for someone in the light side. You should worry about your friends here in the dark side, dummy. Or... Don't tell me you wanna be with them. Don't leave us."

"Please, stop worrying about me, Kefka."

"Me? Worry? YOU are the one worrying here!"

"Enough."

"Hrrrrm... Fine, but don't motivate me to destroy you. You've been warned!" Kefka yelled, pointing a finger to Akechi. The clown then floated back to his position.

"Joker... When will the time come when we encounter each other again?" Akechi muttered to himself silently, not wanting to raise suspicion from his teammates.

 _*Music stops*_

Realm of Genesis - Meadow of Beginnings

Back with Ryo's situation, once he was back at the meadow, he was wondering if there was a way to find a place to relax and meet people. He was alone in this new world, after all, and he wanted to find a civilized location as soon as possible. He was looking around, but found nothing at first... But then he saw what looked like buildings in the distance.

"(Finally! Time to set course!)"

Ryo was now on his way to the town, sprinting quickly using his agile legs with the wind blowing his face while dashing towards his destination. He was now halfway there after some minutes until...

"Found you, dirty mutt!"

A voice came from nearby, interrupting Ryo's dash. He decided to seek the source by looking around once again. "Another enemy?" he asked to himself.

The owner of the voice came nearer and revealed himself to be Yuuki Terumi. His appearance made Ryo suspect the hooded guy and label him as an unfriendly trespasser.

"Well," began Terumi, "looks like I'm the first one to fight after I requested that stupid demon a little moment out in the open." He was smiling, and it didn't look good for the new hero. "Tell me, do you really think you can fight other people without worrying about them? I saw you hesitate all the while."

"(What's the deal with this creeper? What does he want?)" thought Ryo.

"Don't hesitate with me, though. I'll slaughter you like the shitty excuse of a fighter that you are!" Terumi exclaimed, preparing to fight.

"(If you wanna beat me, then I'll give you the pain you want.)" Ryo thought silently, preparing his fists for the incoming assault.

As they both prepared, a flash of light took them to the destined battleground.

Altar

 _BlazBlue Chronophantasma Music - Endless Despair II_

The battle began in the same location with the enormous gray rectangular object in the background of a yellow sky. Terumi, as vicious as he was, started by dashing to Ryo with a pair of custom knives in both hands. "Let's get crazy!" he shouted, rising his weapons to slash his target through his chest. Ryo, being quick on his feet, dodged backwards to prevent some of his blood from being spilled to the floor.

Ryo retaliated by throwing a straight punch to Terumi's face, but the enemy also dodged by moving sideways. Terumi saw an opening and slid his left foot to make the mutt trip, and he succeeded in hitting first, wich was followed by a quick frontal kick to the gut that pushed the reciever further away.

Ryo slid painfully through the floor, and upon stopping, he stood up and dashed back to his opponent. "Come and get me!" Terumi yelled. "Unleash the rage that you have inside and let loose!"

"(I need to focus.)" Ryo thought, as he knew that whoever became enraged in a fight would only attack blindly with no way of stopping. As he closed in, he did a flying kick that failed to make contact to his target, who in turn raised his leg and kicked the creature on the head, making the reciever fall to the floor where he was stomped harshly on the same spot repeatedly until he was once again kicked away to one edge of the field.

"What's wrong?" asked the psycothic man. "Can't fight properly? Maybe they took too many memories from you that you can't even remember how to fight! HAHAHAHA!"

"What are you trying to get at, you maniac?" Ryo asked loudly.

"You'll see." Terumi answered before rushing to his target again with knives out. Ryo knew what to do now.

What most people would see in Ryo would be simply a bipedal canine with unusual and messy blue fur and black legs, and others would see a rare specimen, undiscovered by investigators from everywhere for now. They didn't know, however, that this canine had an inner power: Aura. He clasped his hands together to charge a blue sphere of energy floating in between them, and once it reached a fair size, he thrusted it forward to Terumi, but once again he dodged it. He was unaware of a good surprise, fortunately. The sphere stopped in midair, since it sensed the maniac's life essence, and launched itself to the enemy's back, pushing him to Ryo, who then grabbed Terumi with his left hand grasping his target's untucked shirt. "Now look at what I can do," Ryo boasted, with his right hand behind him and charging his next attack, wich was a blast of energy coming from the same hand being shoved to Terumi, pushing the hooded maniac away.

Terumi fell to the floor, now being at a far distance from his prey. He stood up quickly just to see Ryo dashing to him with the wind blowing his wild fur. "So you CAN fight after all," said Terumi, taunting the heroic fighter a bit. "That doesn't mean you'll remember everything they taught you in the past, you dumbass. I think you won't even remember how to slaughter someone the right way."

"Hey!" Ryo retorted, "I was given these skills when I turned into what you see! I was born human, and that's all I can recall!"

"The ONLY thing you remember is that you were turned into a shitty mutt!?" Terumi asked sarcastically, "Of course! I kinda forgot that they stole your precious memories of those sweet times with those stupid creatures that look like kids' cartoon animals. You want it all back? I don't think so, 'cause you won't live long enough to return to your home, you asshole! **EEEEHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!** " And now Terumi was dashing closer to the inevitable clash.

"(So,)" Ryo began to think while still dashing to the homicidal madcap, "(he's saying that I lost my memories when I came here. I guess it's back to having amnesia again... But as long as I can win this fight against this demon, I swear that I'll find a way back to enjoy a peaceful life with... Uuhhh... Ummm... Dang it, he was right! It's all gone! It's not there! I can't even remember a single Pokémon from back home! Well, then I guess I'll have to fight for my memories. It all begins here. This Lucario, who was once a human teenager before arriving to a planet filled with Pokémon, is gonna go all out to find the path back home!)"


	7. Key to the Heart (1st Half)

Realm of Genesis - Goddess' Pad

The team of five heroes gathered at the room where Genesis awaited the chosen warriors. Terra, Noel, Akira and Morgana were standing behind Sora, who decided to take the initiative to ask the goddess if he could go in search of his Hope, the treasure that would open the gate to Tsukuyomi's realm.

"Genesis," Sora began, "I'm ready to get going. I'll find this treasure in no time."

Genesis was a little amused at the boy's request. However, she decided to speak normally. "It would seem that it is still a tad early to ask such petition, for the heroes that remain to be seen have not appeared yet. However, I may consider this request. Allow me to ask you, child... Are you certain that you can face the challenges that lie ahead and overcome them? Are you aware of the resolve that you require to obtain that wich you seek?"

"You bet I am," said Sora with all the confidence he could muster. "I think I was born ready for this."

"My, what a hasty child," said Genesis, lowering her head a little. She raised it back to look at the heroes in her room. "Very well. Perhaps you posess a will that I cannot stop with relative ease, and for that, I shall grant you what you ask for."

A glowing white vortex appeared over the right side and the heroes stared at it for some seconds. There was no projection of the next destination, so none of them knew where would they end up.

"So we enter those portals and end up in a battlefield, right?" Noel asked./

"We're not gonna mess up with the portals. I'm sure we can handle this," Morgana said, though to the ears of the others, except Akira and Genesis, who understood his words completely, all they could hear were meowing sounds from the cat.

"Hope this doesn't end badly," Terra said with some worry.

"Time to roll out, Sora," Akira encouraged the younger hero. "We're counting on you."

"Okay," Sora said with a nod to the rest of the team. Then he looked at the white portal. "I know I can do this because you're my friends, and friends look after each other." After he finished his sentence, he ran and entered the portal to his next destination.

"We can only wait and see what will happen," Terra suggested to the team. "Sora will be alright, for sure."

Meanwhile...

Altar

 _BlazBlue Chronophantasma Music - Endless Despair II_

Earlier in the fight, Ryo was pretty much dodging most of Terumi's relentless attacks while wishing for an opening to present itself so that he would strike back, but the hooded maniac didn't seem to stop with his assault. In a small interval, it was the enemy who found an opening instead once Ryo let his guard down. It only took a small second for the hero to catch his breath... and that was it for him... Terumi began swinging his custom knives away multiple times, with a dark glowing green aura enveloping those same strikes. Ryo was caught off-guard in the relentless combo that didn't seem to end anytime soon, and he recieved a lot of pain. The onslaught kept going on for at least half a minute until Ryo fell breathless on the floor, still clinging to dear life; he found it strange that he also felt extremely tired and powerless, as if his energy was whisked away from his body. Terumi was enjoying his victim's helplessness, of course, as he smirked with a sinister expression in his eyes and looked down on his target.

"Not so tough anymore, eh?" Terumi said with a voice that clearly showed the satisfaction of feeling victory nearing his grasp by the minute. "Well, I'll make it quick before you die, 'cause I don't have much time, and neither do you. All I did was simply use my special power to drain your force, so you have no means of attacking. Aren't you the greatest when you're succumbing to despair, you bitch?"

"(Is this... how it feels when... you're at your... limit?)" Ryo thought, trying his hardest to not give up in his fight. "You..." He slowly stood up, mustering all the energy he had left. "You are very... sick... in your mind... mister..." He was now back on his feet, but he was quite hunched and with his head hanging low. "But... I'll tell you... a good... secret..." He was now straightening and raising his head to look at the villain's psychotic eyes. "This power comes from... all living things... In other words..." He was ready to finish with a good phrase. "As long as I live... I'll be strong enough... to not fall... because I need to finish this fight."

"Just try, asshole! You can't even use your full strength anymore!"  
"Doesn't matter..." Ryo was preparing to attack with the remaining energy in his right palm. "(Just a little... more.) I'm finishing this with a bang." He held his arm back.  
"If that's how you want to end, then..." Terumi prepared a counterattack for the incoming strike from his opponent.  
Ryo thrusted his palm into the enemy's chest, but, as expected, he missed and the psycho swung one of his knives downwards. The pain the poor Lucario recieved from the slash was stinging, and he knew that one more hit would spell his doom. "(No giving up now... I just need to hit him good.)" He swung his left fist and punched Terumi in the face, having let his guard down as well. He kept the combo going with another punch to the stomach, and for a finisher, with just a small speck of energy still in him, the spike on his right hand extended into a metallic shining white claw that slashed the enemy back. "I told you, mister!" Ryo exclaimed. "You can't beat someone who doesn't give up!"

 _*Music stops*_

Terumi stepped back a few feet away, being a little impressed at the demonstration that his opponent showed to him. He was sure that despair would overwhelm the puny soul, but he never expected such a resolve to be so strong. Collecting himself he exclaimed with frustration "Fine. You had your moment of glory. But it's not over. You just wait until I make you my bitch, you little wuss, 'cause you haven't seen my full strength." Afterwards, a black vortex appeared below his feet and he withdrew in it, returning to his team's headquarters.

In a flash of light, Ryo appeared once again in the meadow.

Realm of Genesis - Meadow of Beginnings

Ryo, back at the flowery field, was now huffing due to all the remaininng strength he used in the battle he had earlier, resting his hands on his knees. "(That was really intense back there. Maybe it's because he was stronger than most Pokémon back in that planet. If only I could remember even just a small tidbit...)"

He tried his hardest to remember at least a small glimpse of the past, but nothing came...

 _"They always say it's dangerous to go outside the village..."_

"Huh?" Ryo straightened quickly when he heard a voice ringing in his head. Memories coming back, perhaps?

Something else resounded...

 _"These are Harmony Scarves. Pops found me wrapped up in these when I was a baby."_  
Ryo quickly realized that he still had a bag strapped around his body, all the way to his waist. He looked down on it and opened it, searching for something he recalled. And there it was. A cloth with a deep shade of green with some lighter emerald stripes in the middle, tied into a knot. Once he saw the item, Ryo grabbed it in his right hand and looked down upon it with thoughts in his mind, as if he was reminiscing of the past that wasn't there.

"(Did I wear this before? What was so special about this scarf?)"

 _"You look good with it!"_

"(I think I... feel some sort of mystic energy from it. I don't know why, but I feel like there's something... special in this scarf.)"

No good... He couldn't recall anything else, sadly. Every memory was a blurr, but Ryo was certain that he forgot something when he woke up on the meadow he was standing at right now. He put the cloth back in the bag and closed it, focusing on the now: he needed to go to the town that was nearby, but he had so little energy left. It was then that his answer for quick travel arrived as if on cue: a large golden bird with ruffled feathers and sapphire eyes, with some feathers sticking out of the back of its head.

"Woah!" Ryo was surprised at the sight of the flightless bird making its prescence in front of the human-turned-Lucario. "That doesn't look like a normal Pokémon at all! What in the world is that thing!?"

"Kweh!" the bird exclaimed, clearly shouting its natural way of speaking: "kwehing".

"Huh?" Ryo was even more surprised at the next fact: "For some reason I can understand it. Why? It definitely isn't a Pokémon, so why could I hear some words from a wierd sound it did?" Too bad the Lucario wasn't noticing that he was talking a bit to loudly for the golden bird to hear him.

"Kweh kweh!"

"What's that, you say? You're saying you're a... choco-something? "Choco-chick"? "Choco-ken"? I don't know!"

"Kweh!"

"Chocobo? Oooooh, okay! Didn't hear ya clearly, sorry."

 _Final Fantasy VII Music - Electric de Chocobo_

"Say, mister Chocobo guy," Ryo began. "You know how I can get to that town over there without tiring myself more than I am already?"

"Kweh!"

"Oh, you're gonna give me a ride? Cool!" Ryo, albeit still very tired, climbed to the Chocobo's back, careful not to impale the spike in his chest to the bird. "Hmm, you have very comfy feathers for a bird, big guy. You have a name, by the way?"

"Kweh!"

"Boko? Sounds good, for a big guy like you. Alright, let's get to that town fast!"

Boko turned to the direction where the town was located and, for Ryo's surprise, began running way too fast that minutes seemed like seconds for the golden bird.

"HEEEEEEEY! NOT TOO FAST, PAAAAAAL!" Ryo yelled at the top of his lungs, holding tight to Boko's neck with a bewildered expression that expressed how scared of falling off he was at the moment.

From a distance behind them, someone was hiding behind a tree, observing the little event unfold. He was talking to himself, looking for someone in particular.

"I'm coming for you, Bartz. You just wait until we clash swords once more."

Meanwhile...

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - Kefka_

Kefka was having his little fun time observing the supposed vessel, unconscious on a seat of a round room in an unknown location. He was growing a little impatient when he had to wait for the vessel to be ready for use. The evil god, Tsukuyomi, would definitely enjoy his time controlling a helpless victim.  
"Well, I think the boss is taking his time with the vessel," Kefka said, sitting in a thinking position in front of said vessel's seat. "When is he gonna wreak havoc around town? When the time comes, I'll also get to play with some of those toys that call themselves the "Bearers of Hope" and take them to the big guy in charge. He'll be so proud of his little servant that he might even promote me to one of his generals. And regarding the doll... I'll take care of her myself when she comes to my hands. The boss will definitely like to play with someone else once he feels a bit lonely."

Kefka was clearly daydreaming about how everything would fall to oblivion once the Bringers of Despair gain the upper hand. He couldn't wait for the vessel's awakening, for it was the first step in the ultimate plan.

...  
"Now he's taking a bit too long to wake up," he said with some venom in his voice, expressing his impatience. He sprung up to the vessel's position and began doing things to him. "Coochie coochie coo." The evil clown tried tickling him, but to no avail. He tried slapping his cheek, but no response came. He took out an alarm clock and it began ringing loudly, but he got the same result. "And here I thought that third time was the charm." He moved his... butt... to the vessel's face and farted... Nothing still...

"C'mon! WAKE UP ALREADY!" He yelled, clearly at the limit of his patience.

...

The clown did not expect, however, that the vessel would finally open his eyes. Kefka was now satisfied with the little event playing out.

"Oh, yes! The party is now getting started! Hee hee hee!"

 _Final Fantasy IX Music - The Prelude_

 _Sora, chosen by the Keyblade,_  
 _has the strong devotion to fight for his friends,_  
 _facing all obstacles and enemies blocking his path._

 _The power of the light that he wields will guide the boy in this journey_  
 _in search of his Hope_  
 _and of his lost memories,_  
 _all the while knowing that he has bonds to protect somewhere._

 _Just as Sora wields the power of light,_  
 _so too can someone else possess a dark power_  
 _that would clash against each other in an inevitable conflict..._

 _*Music stops*_

 **Key to the Heart**

Mementos - Prision of Regression

A white vortex was behind Sora, as he got out from it, arriving at the set destination: Mementos. He arrived at the same place that had the golden cup in the center with prison cells in the background.

"Well now," he began, looking around. "This is how it begins for me. I'll just do what I can and find the Hope."

Sora started walking around the place, looking for clues as to how to find the treasure. "Now, where do we begin? What's with all the red glowing around this place?"

For now, nothing. He paced around for a little more seconds until something showed up: a Blank.

"Woah! It must be one of them!"

The Blank in particular looked just like Sora, although it was covered in diamonds and it was known as the "Nonexistent Key". It began speaking.

" _Target name: Sora; Codename: HEART; Stats: Balanced; Danger rank: 6; Beginning confrontation..._ "

Sora prepared himself in a fighting stance as he made his Keyblade appear in his hands. "Bring it on, you Blank!"

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Scherzo di Notte_

The battle began with both fighters, one dashing towards the other, clashing their respective blades in a flashy fashion.

"How's this? Fire!" Sora yelled, once he was a bit farther from his opponent, shooting a flaming projectile from the tip of his Keyblade that hit home. The Nonexistent Key twitched a little, but continued its mission, retaliating with icy projectiles that scattered but failed to hit its intended target, who dodged successfully. Now that Sora was in front of his enemy, he slashed away with a combo of five swings, finishing with a harder hit straight to the head. "Back off!" Sora exclaimed, pushing away the Blank.

Unsurprisingly, it was finished quickly, shattering into nothingness afterwards.

 _*Music stops*_

"C'mon," Sora exclaimed. "Give me a real challenge!"

Just then, another enemy made its presence from the shadows. This one was not a Blank, but a young boy, a little older than Sora. He had long and messy light purple hair, diamond blue eyes, a white jacket with no sleeves and some yellow on the top and bottom ends, a black belt around his blue baggy jeans and black and white sneakers. Sora, at first, did not recognize the person in particular, since every memory in his mind was a blurr, but a few seconds of examining the individual have passed and...

 _"Once we cross this door, there's no turning back. It's victory, or oblivion. You ready?"_

 _"Wait! You're not Riku! Who are you?"_

 _"I am Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness."_

 _"You know, I think I've been jealous of you. You have so many friends."_

 _"I think you're better at more stuff than me."_

Now it was crystal clear to Sora.

"Riku...?"

"How's it going, Sora?" Riku greeted. "Glad to know you remember your friend."

"What are you doing here?" Sora demanded an answer. He was certain that his friend Riku would join him in the fight against Tsukuyomi, but what was going on?

"Oh, I forgot about the other guy. How do you feel, trapped in that boy's heart... Roxas?"

"Who?" There. Another blurr in Sora's memory. "Who are you talking about?"

 _"It's salty... and sweet."_

"Huh? Salty and... sweet?"

Riku closed his eyes and lowered his head, as if lamenting something. "So none of you remember anything, right? Good. We need those memories in order to make more Blanks. They will make sure that you don't interfere in our goal."

Sora was a bit more confused by the second. What was his friend mumbling about? "Riku, what are you saying? More Blanks? Are you...?"

Riku shook his head, then opened his eyes and looked at Sora, explaining something. "We are working for a common goal. We need to make sure that the god of destruction himself gathers enough energy to awaken and devour all the realms that exist. Nothing will be left behind. The power will be unstoppable."

"You're saying that," Sora said. "you're working with the bad guys?" He now put a worried expression in his face. "I might not remember much, but that's not the Riku I know about. Did they do something to you?"

"Sora, Roxas..." Riku began. "That Riku is gone. Now you see him as a reformed being, ready to strike down your hopes for the future." In his right hand, a sword appeared in a dark flash. It had a demonic wing for the blade area, and another demonic wing and an angelic one on the hilt, with an eye on the central part. Riku took a fighting stance, raising his own Keyblade over his head and extending his left open palm in front of him, with his right foot behind him. "Now, fall and abandon your wish."

Sora prepared himself for the clash with his Keyblade in hand. "Whatever they did to you, I'll save you, Riku."

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Riku_

"Darkness!" Riku called a dark sphere, aiming it at his target, which appeared just above Sora and was increasing in size while it descended to the ground. Sora rolled to the front and avoided the impact that the dark sphere caused.

"Let's see how you handle this! Thunder!" Sora raised his weapon and summoned many bolts of lightning above Riku, who blocked them all with his dark Keyblade. "Blizzard!" Sora shot chunks of ice with his weapon's tip, but the enemy stepped out of the way and avoided them.

"C'mon, Sora," Riku taunted. "Don't tell me that's all your best." He then slashed the air in front of him, releasing a dark wave that Sora quickly dodged by rolling to the side. Riku then tried swinging his weapon at his target, but he was blocked and backed away, flinching for a moment, which prompted Sora an opening.

"Light!" Sora swung away with a combo of six hits and ended his assault by thrusting his sword's tip to the enemy's chest. "Give me strength!"

"Gaaah!" Riku was now ready to strike with an attack of his own. After being launched a few feet away from Sora, he landed back on his feet and decided to surprise his target with a particular spell. "Hope that this does a lot of damage. Gravity, trap him!"

The same dark sphere appeared above Sora, descending and increasing in size. But Riku knew how to make sure the spell wouldn't miss. He dashed towards his target and slashed him square in the chest, which made the younger fighter flinch for enough seconds for the Gravity spell to hit and make poor boy fall to the ground, helpless.

"Now you see where your carelessness takes you, Sora?" Riku asked in a mocking tone. "It would be easier if you joined us, instead of siding with those pathetic light wielders."

 _"Riku, please!"_

A female innocent voice echoed inside Riku's mind and startled him with a shocked expression and wide eyes. Sora took the opportunity to get back up and strike the enemy, launching him a few feet away once more.

"Ungaah!" Riku did not expect the hit, but he still landed back on his feet and prepared another attack with his Keyblade. He slashed the air in front of him, releasing another dark wave that Sora dodged quickly. The dark Keyblade wielder dashed to the heroic character, but the Bearer of Hope summoned a barrier in front of him.

"Reflect!" Sora raised his Keyblade, and a barrier, with the appearance of a white beehive pattern, surrounded him, just in time for Riku to strike it by accident and turning the barrier into spheres of light that circled around the hero, hitting the enemy multiple times and launching him a small distance away.

"Oof!" Riku landed back on his feet, ready to strike again, but the same innocent voice echoed.

 _"Riku, stop this nonsense already! The darkness must have taken its toll on you! You must break free!"_

The girl sounded very concerned and sad about Riku. She sounded like she was about to break into a rain of tears.

"Kairi..." Riku whispered to himself. He grabbed his head in pain with an expression that clearly expressed something unusual: his eyes were tighly shut and he gritted his teeth. Sora noticed the small action and became more confused.

"Riku! What's wrong?" Sora yelled, expressing concern for his friend.

"No..." Riku began muttering. "I must... finish him off..."

"No, I'll finish this!" Sora decided to shoot a fireball to Riku to snap him out of his trance, which was kind of the coup de grace that finished the fight, since the enemy fell to the ground, exhausted.

 _*Music stops*_

"Oh no, what did I do?" Sora said to himself, worrying about his friend. "Riku!" He ran to the dark Keyblade wielder.

Riku was on the ground, catching his breath. That last attack did not do much good to his health. Once Sora was near, he saw the boy extending his hand to help him back on his feet. "Sora... why help the enemy knowing that you'll get hurt?"

"I won't leave you like this, Riku. You're my friend."

"...No... This Riku is not your friend anymore. He is now with the Bringers of Despair... supporting them for complete destruction..."

"The Riku I know wouldn't do something like helping the dark side. We can fight them together, like before."

A dark vortex appeared below Riku's body. Before it could drag him down, he said "You can't make the enemy fight against the team he sided with... It will only bring trouble..." After he finished his sentence, the portal dragged the Bringer of despair back to his base to replenish his energy.

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Roxas_

Sora straightened back up, thinking about the friend that turned to the darkness.

"Riku..."

There were so many questions left unanswered, but Sora decided to move on. He saw another white portal opening up, and he knew what to do: enter to see his next destination.

He may have been concerned about Riku, and he wanted to know what in the world happened to him, but he needed to continue his journey and find his Hope. He wouldn't stop thinking about his friends, and that included Riku. He now crossed the white vortex and was ready to tackle the next challenge.

 _"You've won the icing on the cake."_

 _"Huh...?"_

 _"Sea salt ice cream... My favorite."_

 _"It's salty... and sweet."_

 _"You know why the sun sets red?"_

 _"Roxas..."_

 _"Yes... The new you..."_

 _"Roxas! To the mansion!"_

 _"Summer vacation."_

Meanwhile...

Realm of Genesis - Town of the Invited

Ryo and his new Chocobo friend, Boko, arrived at the town's entrance, with the former catching his breath due to the shock of riding what he thought was the fastest bird in the realm. The human-turned-Lucario jumped off Boko's back and on the floor. But he felt some sort of... wave... A sad and concerned wave from somewhere...

"Hm?" Ryo looked to the sky and wondered something. "Hey, big guy. Did you just feel something?"

"Kweh?"

"I don't know. It's like... I could hear two guys... feeling down... like they lost a friend or something."

"Kweh?"

"Guess it must have been my imagination running wild again. (Did something happen out there?)"

 _*Music stops*_

Ryo walked into the town, observing his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the Academy of the Seeker. He groaned. "Don't tell me I'm going back to school again." He complained. Behind him, Boko stood there, not going in, for he was awaiting Ryo to return. The Lucario kept pacing around and found something amazing far off in the north: a staircase leading to Heaven. "Wow, that's so cool! I need to see where it leads to! (Hopefully not another painful climb.)" Ryo made haste to the heavenly staircase.

Realm of Genesis - Goddess' Pad

 _Kingdom Hearts RE: Chain of Memories Music - Naminé_

Once Ryo finished his ascent to "Heaven", he found a light blue room with only a fancy curtain bed sitting behind a single window. He also saw a womanly silhouette behind the closed curtains of the bed. "Hello? Can you hear me, miss?"

The woman answered with her benevolent voice. "I see that you have arrived to my pad, Ryo."

"How the heck did you...? You know me or something?" Ryo was very startled to hear a complete stranger address him by his name.

"You might say that..." The woman opened the curtains of her bed and revealed herself. "I've been observing you for very long."

"(She's so pretty.)"

Ryo saw that the woman was beautiful in every aspect. Her long black hair, the white dress that covered her legs and bare feet, her voice... She was a literal goddess.

"I am Genesis, goddess of order," Genesis introduced herself to Ryo. "I have summoned you here to fulfill a task. You, along with my other warriors, must join forces to fight against the Bringers of Despair, who wish to engulf everything that exists in eternal darkness."

"So," Ryo said in a thinking position. "You want us to go out there and fight to save the world? I've done that before, so it doesn't hurt to do it again."

"Do not be so hasty, child. First, you must embark on a journey to attain your Hope, the key that will unlock the door to the dark realm in which Tsukuyomi, god of destruction, rests. Once you defeat the Blanks that stand in your way and emerge victorious against your rival, you will be rewarded with the Hope that you seek. But your resolve must not waver, child. Keep it, and you will find your answer."

"Okay, sounds easy enough. But I gotta ask something."

"What bothers you, child?"

Ryo noticed there was a tattoo around Genesis' left eye area. The tattoo in particular had the shape of a silver wing, but it wasn't his current concern. Instead he asked "Where are the other warriors?"

Town of the Invited - Colisseum of the Challengers

 _BlazBlue Chronophantasma Music - Thin RED Line II_

Terra, Noel, Akira and Morgana (in his cartoony bipedal form) were fighting against a black blob with a red shade, a white mask with dotted eyes and mouth, and was growing golden arachnid limbs from different parts of its body. The girls were pretty much disgusted at the sight of the monster opposing them. Its speech was also very difficult to understand, since it was fragmented.

" . ...de.o.r .zu.e." said the dark blob.

Noel was trying to examine the monster, since something in her mind clicked, as if it triggered a memory that was previously locked. "I think I know this one... Something about "arachnid" or... Arakune?"

Perhaps Noel was right in naming the blob. The memory returned, and the name Arakune was familiar to her now.

"D. .ot s..nd i. .y p..h!" yelled Arakune, slithering on the ground towards its targets and spitting what looked like a swarm of bees veiled in red shades.

"Be careful, Joker!" Morgana exclaimed, preparing to focus an attack to the dark monstrous blob. "Come, Zorro!"

In a burst of blue flames behind the cat, a spirit appeared. It had the trademark appearance: the mask, the mustache, the muscular build in the upper body, the cape, the leather suit, the boots, the belt with a silver "Z" on it, the scabbard and the floret blade in the right hand.

"What in the world? Is that an Esper?" Terra asked bewildered at the sight of the spirit aiding Morgana.

"This is my Persona!" Morgana informed the girls, who were foreign to the term "Persona".

Zorro swung his blade in a "Z" motion and summoned a gust of wind on the blob, which damaged it.

"It's my turn. Arsene!" Akira called forth his own Persona by taking off his mask, which burned in a blue flame. A burst of blue flames made another spirit appear behind Akira. It had an immensly huge top hat, a black mask with a sinister glare and smile, black angelic wings, a fancy red leather suit and dark claws.

Akira commanded Arsene to swing his claws to slash Arakune by simply posing dramatically. "You're mine!"

"Optic Barrel!" Noel made a glyph appear over the dark blob and shot it, doing a moderate amount of damage.

"Heaven's lament." Terra levitated and spun around, calling forth small comets that crashed around Arakune, some of them hitting it for considerable amounts of damage.

"Eeegyaaah!" Arakune flinched at the collective force of the heroes' attacks, but began an attack of his own. It slithered towards Morgana and used its arachnid limbs to stab the cat, then a big claw slashed him, then the blob jumped and fell down quickly like a raindrop above its target's head and, for the fininsher, the blob turned into what looked like a flask and began shooting a purple flame from the hole on top, burning the Phantom Thief.

"Myaaah!" Morgana did suffer greatly from the last attack, since he was generally incapable of holding off fire attacks and was weak to them. He fell to the ground, with some flames burning his furry body.

"Mona!" Akira shouted, seeing that his "pet" was very injured.

"HOT! Hot, hot, hot!" Morgana was jumping up and down in a panic, trying to blow off the flames that charred him slowly.

"Don't worry," Terra said, as she used a healing spell on the cat to calm his wounds, but the flames did not go away.

Morgana felt relief in his body thanks to the spell putting him back in condition. "Ahhh, it feels good to be attended by a lovely nurse..." he said dreamily.

 **Terra has strengthened her bond with Akira and Morgana a little.**

Back in the fight, Noel was attacking with a combo of her own. "Und!" She raised her leg and kicked the blob hard on its mask. "Zwei!" She jumped a little, spun and fired three bullets from one of her guns. "Drei!" She spun around and fired a small bullet to the monster's mask. "Hiyah!" she yelled while kicking the enemy to make it fly high and continue the assault. Noel jumped and shot a small flurry of bullets once Arakune was close to hitting the ground. "This is it! Yah!" She finished by shooting low and scoring one last hit to make the enemy hit the floor.

"Oogyaaah!" Arakune, once it recovered, decided to target Akira next by shooting a swarm of bees in a red shade that scored right on his head, but didn't do any damage. "Di. an. g. to wh.r. y.u !"

"Is that supposed to make me laugh?" Akira taunted. "'Cause you're doing a good job at it."

Little did he know that the swarm was actually a mark that called forth a bunch of slugs, spiders and other icky insects that began biting and slashing "Joker" with no mercy. "Gah! What the hell!?"

"Gyaaahahahaha!" Arakune decided to join the onslaught it created by jumping on its target and chomping him with a set of large teeth. The damage was very noticeable, since it was a powerful combo attack.

"Joker, don't you die on me!" Morgana focused and called Zorro once more, this time requesting a healing spell. The Persona raised his floret and a shining wave put Akira back in condition. "Ooooh, it hurts, it burns!" The small burning sensation was damaging "Mona" little by little, but not to the point of putting him in critical condition.

The swarm faded away when Akira swung his dagger and stabbed Arakune in its stomach. He decided to swing it a few more times to make a good deal out of the monster.

"Here!" Terra shot five spheres of light by spinning in place and directed them towards the dark blob. The attack connected and the arachnid monster was twitching in pain.

"Id..ts! Do n.. un..re.t..ate .e! Dev..r t.e !"

"Oh, I forgot." Terra noticed Morgana was still burning and decided to cast a healing spell that, while it did not treat the wounds, it whisked away the burning sensation from the cat.

"I'm in heaven... Prrr."

 **Terra has strengthened her bond with Akira and Morgana a little.**

"This fight has dragged on for too long already. Time to finish this!" Noel exclaimed as she morphed her guns into a heavy machine gun and shot away at Arakune, dealing the coup de grace with the last shot.

* _Music ends*_

"Litchi... I now must... return... to you..."

Arakune vanished in a yellow sparkly light, returning to its own homeworld. The last words that the monster muttered left a mark on the heroes. The monster sounded a bit saddened about the outcome of the battle.

 _BlazBlue Music - re:stung_

"What did he just say?" Morgana asked.

"Maybe," Terra began. "Maybe it said something about a loved one. That it's returning to a person it loves."

Akira was a bit confused. "But it's a monster. This Arakune thing loves a human girl?"

"Litchi..." Noel said in a thinking position. "I think I heard that name before..." Another blurr in Noel's memory was present.

"Well," Morgana began. "Guess we won't know about this tragic story anytime soon."

Akira raised his hand and said "Anyways ─ Victory time!" and he snapped his fingers.

 _Dissidia AC/NT Music - Victory Fanfare (Heroes)_

"Woo! Looking cool, Joker!" Morgana exclaimed with a happy expression.

"Well, that's that." Noel said as she stored away Bolverk in her holsters and moved a hand through her hair.

"Well done, everyone. You all did well!" Terra exclaimed to the team.

Back with the Bringers of Despair...

 _Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Music - Organization XIII_

"How's little Ricky doing?" Kefka said, clearly requesting a report from Riku.

"That small mistake was not his doing." Akechi said. "Someone from outside this realm must have interfered with the boy's senses."

"If only that girl didn't disrupt the mission's progress..." Riku muttered with irritation in his voice.

"It's okay, pal," said Terumi. "After all, we need to see how you're progressing as our little servant. We won't tolerate another flaw in your next fight, you little dipshit, you heard me?"

"Yes." Riku nodded.

"Perfect!" Kefka exclaimed. "Looks like Ricky-boy here wants to take his time. Does that mean I get to go out on the key boy next? Becaise I need to prove that kids are not meant to be heroes! It irritates me a lot."

"Fine, fine," Terumi said. "Go out there and please shut the hell up for once. Your voice is gonna make my head blow up, you ass."

"Well , I'll be going now. Toodaloo!" And with that, Kefka disappeared and went to another location unknown for now.

Akechi, meanwhile, could only wait until he had his turn to fight.

"Joker, my friend... I hope we can stop this meaningless feud together, just like old times..."


	8. Key to the Heart (2nd Half)

Altar

Sora, after traversing the white vortex of light, found himself in the same place with the yellow cloudy sky and the rectangular object in the background. He was still concerned about his friend Riku, and it showed, as his face expressed a worried emotion with a small frown.

" _I suppose you are thinking much of your friend, child._ "

"Huh?" Sora looked around and found Genesis standing at his right side. "Genesis!"

 _Dissidia Music - Order That Must Be Protected_

The boy looked up to the goddess face-to-face and listened to her.

"Sora, my child, it is good to know that you wish for his welfare, even knowing that he is aiding the enemy. Riku may not be the same, but you wish to save him from his own darkness. That shows how kind you can be."

"You're right, Genesis," Sora said. "Riku is my friend, and I won't leave him. If his heart is in danger of getting darker, I'll find a way to save him."

"My," the goddess began. "I see you have your resolve. But I must give you a small piece of advice before I leave. Listen closely."

Genesis' advice would help Sora at the end of his journey, so he listened carefully.

"You must not search outside your surroundings, child. Search the answer inside people's hearts. You must find your friend's heart and shine your light upon him if you wish to save him, but you must not worry too much of him."

"Right." Sora nodded. "I think I get it. Hope I can finish this as soon as possible."

"Well then, farewell." With that, Genesis vanished back to her room.

Sora thought about the advice that the goddess gave him. He got into a thinking position. "Search inside the heart... Does that mean I need to listen to other people's feelings? Maybe it'll be clear when I get to the end."

 _*Music stops*_

Sora started walking around the place, but found no living soul. What he did find, though, was another Blank. It was another Cognitive Thief that was staring at him.

" _Target locked. Beginning confrontation..._ "

Sora prepared for battle by making his Keyblade appear in his hand in a flash of light as the Blank approached him. "This'll be pretty quick."

 _Persona 5 Music - Last Surprise_

The Cognitive Thief dashed towards its target and swung its dagger, but did not expect Sora to cast Reflect to form a barrier that blocked the attack and turn into spheres of light that circled around and hit the enemy multiple times and flung it a few feet away.

The smaller Blank, which looked like Morgana but with rubies composing its body, was running towards Sora, ready to swing its blade. Once it swung it, Sora quickly rolled forward to avoid the attack, and ran towards his main target: the Blank that looked like Akira Kurusu.

The Blank casted a dark spell, but it did miniscule damage to Sora. The smaller enemy also casted a wind spell, but its damage was also mediocre. Sora just shrugged it off and began attacking the Cognitive Thief with his Keyblade, executing a combo of six hits that ended with a harder swing. "Take that!"

 _*Music stops*_

The last hit made the enemy shatter, along with the smaller one, into nothingness.

"Really, these guys must be super weak."

Sora turned around and found another Blank. It was a new kind that looked like Yuuki Terumi, with sapphires composing its body, which was known as the "Serpent Replica". Once it saw the Keyblade wielder, it approached him with knives in both hands.

" _Target locked. Beginning confrontation..._ "

Sora, once more, prepared for the clash, dashing towards the enemy. "Let's settle things straight!"

 _BlazBlue Continnum Shift Music - Gluttony Fang_

Sora swung his blade to the enemy, who swung its knives in response, and both attacks clashed, releasing some sparks. This went on for a few more seconds until Sora casted Blizzaga, shooting from the tip of his weapon many chunks of ice that hit home and froze the enemy in place. Sora then jumped very high and swung his Keyblade very hard when he descended quickly, even breaking the ice that trapped the Blank, which flew a long distance away. "Back off!"

The enemy landed towards the platform's edge. Once it composed itself, it dashed towards its target and tried kicking the boy hard in the chest, but missed due to Sora dodging in time. He decided to finish the fight by thrusting the tip of his blade towards the enemy's chest in quick succession. Each thrust made him change sides from the enemy's perspective. Sora finished the enemy off with one final thrust that made the Blank shatter into nothingness, just like the rest. "This is it!"

* _Music stops_ *

"Alright, who's next?" Sora looked around for more Blanks, but none were in his sight.

However, a dark vortex opened on the floor in front of the boy, and from it, Kefka rised, making his appearance.

"Tadah! How's that for a magic trick?"

"Hey!" Sora took up his usual fighting stance. "Are you one of the bad guys?"

"What do you think I look like, key boy?" Kefka retorted. "Of course I'm here to beat you! It's my job!"  
p style="text-align: left;""Tell me," Sora wanted to ask something regarding his concerns. "What did you do to Riku!?"

"I'm afraid Ricky-boy has accepted the dark side, simply because it's easier for him to be bad like us. Don't worry, he'll be fine, as long as you don't interfere in our plans."

"You plan to turn every world into darkness, right? Well, I'm here to stop you!"

"That sounds like a marvelous speech, little guy. But the show must go on. Witness the beauty of destruction!"

 _Dissidia AC/NT Music - Dancing Mad_

Kefka began the battle by throwing a pointy fire projectile to Sora, who promptly blocked it away. He couldn't avoid getting hit by a large chunk of ice that the killer clown released, though, and it shattered into smaller chunks that hit home. The boy quickly regained his composure and raised his Keyblade. "Wind!"

Sora casted a windy barrier that surrounded him.

"Is that all? LAME!" Kefka kicked away Sora a small distance away, but he felt a small pain in his foot. It was the barrier that slashed him, doing moderate damage.

"I'll show you! Fire!" Sora shot three fireballs to the evil clown, who simply skipped aside to avoid getting burned. Then he retaliated by shooting from his index finger three small firey projectiles that bounced off the floor, but Sora blocked the attack.  
"Stop moving so I can hit you square in the face!" Kefka shouted, casting numerous lightning bolts that rained over Sora, who scrambled on his feet to avoid getting zapped. "How about if you eat this for dinner!" Kefka raised his index finger, and a purple light appeared above the Keyblade wielder, who raised his head and saw violet crystaline meteors fall on him, prompting him to roll forward to dodge the massive strike.

"Alright, let's go!" Sora swung his right arm, throwing his Keyblade towards Kefka and hit him. Strangely enough for the clown, the weapon reappeared on the boy's hand whenever each throw hit. He repeated the same action thrice before performing one final throw, hitting harder than the last ones. "Got it!"

"Ow! What was that?" Kefka flinched a bit in confusion towards the attack that Sora performed.  
"It was the power of my heart! The Keyblade just goes back to me like magic!" Sora responded.

"That sounds stupid! I'll show you something better!" The killer clown snapped his fingers and made a triangular glyph appear right around Sora, who looked like he was trapped in a golden polygonal barrier, but he escaped before it could shatter and damage him. "You're no fun when you keep moving like that!" Kefka exclaimed, feigning boredom in his voice.

"Well, I'll have my fun when I get Riku back!" Sora raised his Keyblade, summoning forth a rain of thunderbolts that fell on his target, zapping him.

"Oooh, that tickles!" Once the thunder stopped, Kefka threw another pointy fire projectile in a pitcher motion, which prompted Sora to once again block it away. "Whaddya think a' this?" Kefka got into the famous "Thinker" position that the iconic statue did and casted one glyph below him and another one above, the latter flying off to shoot spheres of television static above the running Sora. The assault went on and, once it stopped, the clown charged an attack and... fell asleep while floating.

"Huh?" Sora was confused, but decided to dash towards his enemy. "You're going down!" He swung his Keyblade, but fell for a trap.

"BOOM!" Kefka was faking his sleeping act and made the attack explode right in front of the boy, throwing him off guard and launching him many feet away.

"Wah!" Sora landed back on his feet, trying to prepare another attack. He reconsidered his options and felt some energy stored in him. He decided to release it and his clothes began to shine brightly. "Give me strength!"

Now his clothes changed color from black to blue, gaining an impulse in magic prowess.  
"Okay, that looked like a good light show, but let's bring the fireworks!" Kefka casted a line of small thunderbolts in a straight line, directed towards the boy, who simply glided away to avoid the attack.

Sora then showed what his new form could do: he started shooting small blue sparks from the tip of his sword in quick succession, gliding on the floor all the while, directing his projectiles towards the clown. Most, if not all of them, hit home and made the enemy flinch a little. Sora did one more motion and shot a barrage of blue sparks that hit accurately before his clothes returned to thier normal color palette.

"Ohohoho, that was very impressive... But not quite like this!" Kefka raised his left hand to the sky and made a big sphere of television static appear, which he threw towards Sora, who rolled away in time before the attack could reach him. He saw the sphere imploding in place and vanishing. He couldn't avoid getting skewered in the back by Kefka sprouting two pairs of angelic wings while upside down.

"Ha ha ha!" The killer clown had a moment to rejoice once he saw the Keyblade wielder fall defeated to the ground. "I win! Now where's my prize?" He floated while posing in a lax manner, as if he was laying on a couch scracthing his butt.

To the villain's surprise, he saw Sora standing back up, albeit slowly, supporting his weight by grasping the Keyblade's hilt. "Not yet... I... can still go!"

"I knew it," Kefka muttered, descending back to the ground. "Just because you're a kid who's trying to save the worlds doesn't mean you have the right to be a hero. You know what they say: "What goes up must go DOWN"!"

"No..." Sora retorted. "YOU are going down!" He thrusted his blade's tip to the killer clown's chest, giving the coup de grace that finished the fight.

"I give up! See ya later!" Kefka retreated back to his team's base in a dark vortex that dragged him down, dissapearing from sight.

 _*Music stops*_

"I... think I need to take a break..." Sora said tiredly, hunched and lowered. "Oh, I forgot! Heal!" He raised his Keyblade, casting Curaga on himself, relieving his pain.

Now, he was ready for the final challenge once he saw the white vortex of light open on the other side of the arena. He was ready to face off against his friend Riku and save him from the dark influence that the Bringers of Despair did to him. He was determined to save his friend, albeit some would consider the connection more of a rivalry.

"Hang on, Riku. I'm coming for you." With that said, Sora rushed and crossed the portal to his final destination...

Meanwhile...

Realm of Genesis - Town of the Invited

Ryo was now back at the town, and he was searching for the other Bearers of Hope, running and looking around. "Someone!?" he called out, but no one answered. "Hey! Over here!"

He was at the fountain, but not a single soul was there. He was frantically desperate to meet these heroes now that he was called by the goddess of order to fulfill a task to save her realm. He saw someone in the entrance. He saw a man wearing a red hood with horns, what he thought was a white mask with no pupils and red markings covering it and an assortment of exotic gear composing his attire with a red color motif. He didn't mind that the man in particular looked like he was wearing white boxers with red dots that made it look like underwear to Ryo.

"(Who is this wierdo? Is it safe to talk to him?)"

"Hm?" The hooded man stared directly to Ryo, noticing his presence. It only took a few seconds to─

"There you are!"

"Huh? Me!?" Ryo pointed at himself in confusion. He saw the hooded stranger jump to his position, startling the Lucario.

 _Distant Worlds - Clash on the Big Bridge_

"Well, well, well," the man began. "We meet again, Bartz!"

"Huh? Who─"

"Finally, we find each other like always, eh?"

"But─"

"I've been waiting for the day to clash swords with you, my fellow rival. Let's see how you improved."

"Excuse me, but... who the heck are you?"

"Huh? What are you saying? Don't play dumb on me, Bartz! It's me, your rival! The legendary Gilgamesh!" The stranger introduced himself while putting up a fighting stance.

"But we never met before, mister. I'm not the Bartz you're looking for." Ryo pointed a finger to himself and shook his face a little.

"Oh yeah? What about the big bird over there? Isn't it yours?" Gilgamesh pointed to Boko, standing at the entrance of the town.

"Well, Boko is kinda mine, but at the same time, I barely know him."

"Wait a minute..." Gilgamesh examined Ryo's appearance with detail, looking at him from his head with pointy ears and a tuft sticking out to his black feet with paws. "You're not Bartz! You're one of those monsters who attack people!"

"Hey! I'm no monster, you wierdo! I'm friendly to anyone!"

"Well, now that you mention it, you can talk," Gilgamesh said in a thinking position. "And I think you were friendly to that Chocobo over there, so... Alright, I give up." He swung up his arms and dropped them, dangling low with his back hunched in defeat. "You're a good guy, alright."

"Hey," Ryo decided to interrupt. "You said you were "The Legendary Gilgamesh!" He adressed the hooded stranger with hands on his hips, head held high and a not-so-deep baritone voice. He returned to normal as he said "Or something like that."

"Indeed," Gilgamesh said with a small nod. Ryo noticed that the "mask" was actually the man's face when he saw the mouth move accordingly to the sound of his words, which creeped him out. Gilgamesh continued speaking while moving and posing dramatically.

"I have traveled through many worlds in search of a worthy opponent. It was a big surprise to me when I found many swordsmen who were capable of putting up a fight with me. I fought against someone with this thing called "Gunblade", a small child clad in red armor who called himself the "Onion Knight", a thief whose small stature and monkey tail intrigued me, and many more impressive people than you can count."

Several minutes later...

 _*Music stops*_

"The journey was very long, and I kept ending up in this place called the "Rift", but I got out however I could triumphantly. But this journey I take is only to find my greatest rival: Bartz Klauser. And now I see YOU!" Gilgamesh pointed at Ryo sleeping on the ground. "How dare you fall asleep in the middle of my amazing tale!?"

Ryo was starting to wake up once the snot bubble on the tip of his nose popped. He opened his eyes and jumped back on his feet.

"Okay," Ryo said. "I think I get it. You some sort of celebrity or something?"

"What?"

"Forget it. You wanna fight? Then I'll show you how to fight." Ryo put up a fighting stance and prepared for the incoming clash against Gilgamesh.

"That's the spirit! Let us begin!" Gilgamesh exclaimed excitedly and adopted a fighting stance, ready to fight against his newest opponent.

Back with Sora...

The World That Never Was

Sora arrived at a dark city with buildings that had few lights and lit by the full moon, shaped like a heart. The location he arrived at was specifically a small square in-between many buildings with a bright skyscraper in the background, with some alleyways leading to different places. On the other side, he found his current opponent: Riku, who had his back turned to the Keyblade wielder.

"So you've come..." said Riku.

"I came for you, Riku," said Sora. "What happened to you? Where's the Riku I remember? The one who fought the bad guys with me..."

"He's gone, Sora. You're never getting him back. You might try all you want, but your friend won't wake up from his deep slumber."

Sora noticed a pattern in Riku's speech. He noticed that he was talking in third person with no mention of the words "I", "me", "myself" or any other term that referred to himself. Maybe he talked about someone else. He decided to ask.  
"You... You're not talking like Riku, right? Just... Who are you?"

Riku turned to face Sora, staring directly into his eyes. The diamond blue eyes were gone, and instead replaced by an ominous red glow.

"Looks like it's worthless to keep the facade up for long now." He smirked with evil intent. "I... am Tsukuyomi, god of destruction. I have taken this boy's heart and will captive and turned him into my vessel. It took some time, but I can finally embrace his darkness as if it was mine, making my power even more relentless. You are not supposed to befriend this vessel. Give up your hopes in ever saving him, Sora, Roxas... And yes, I can see through your soul. That's why I'm also adressing the helpless Nobody inside you, Sora. Is he a friend to you as well, just like this empty body standing before you?"

"...Yes..." Sora answered wholeheartedly. "I may not remember much, but I fight for them... because they're my friends."

"What nonsense are you spouting now, foolish child?" Tsukuyomi said with venom in his tone.

 _Dissidia Music - March_

"I'm not saying any nonsense!" Sora exclaimed defiantly. "I'm here to free Riku from your control!" He summoned his Keyblade and put up a fighting stance before he continued his speech. "I promised myself to protect my friends so that they could be happy, and that's why I won't abandon Riku, no matter what!"

"Of course," Tsukuyomi interrupted. "It's because of your friends that you're weak. You are only a puppet to them. They don't love you!"

"No, you're wrong!" Sora mustered his determination to yell out a final phrase that would determine his resolve.

"My friends, they are my power!"

Tsukuyomi was astonished at such a small statement. "Grrr! You trust in your friends that much, huh? Well then..." He made Riku's dark Keyblade appear in his right hand and adopted his fighting stance. "I will break the bonds that strengthen you, little weakling!"

"Just try, you monster!" Sora retorted defiantly. And the battle began.

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - The Other Promise_

Sora dashed towards Tsukuyomi and swung his Keyblade, which clashed against the enemy's weapon. Tsukuyomi pushed away the boy's sword and stabbed him right on the chest. "Surrender to the darkness!"

The dark blade was chanelling dark energy towards Sora's heart, weakening his body. But he was strong with the power of light, and he pretty much resisted. "You won't have it your way!" The boy simply pushed himself away by kicking Tsukuyomi in the stomach and broke himself free from the dark blade's grasp. He shot chunks of ice from the tip of his own weapon that his enemy swiftly dodged by teleporting behind the hero, who noticed this and rolled away before he could be attacked by the dark Keyblade.

"Sora, Roxas, listen to the power of shadows! It calls you, waiting to settle itself in your hearts to empower you! Why do you reject it!?" Tsukuyomi yelled the last sentence with anger, swinging the dark Keyblade downwards and releasing a wave that Sora dodged.

"Whoever this Roxas is, he won't give in to the darkness. He's with me!" Sora ran with Keyblade in hand, ready to strike again. He began thrusting his weapon towards Tsukuyomi, who failed to dodge the assault of consecutive thrusts, getting pushed away a long distance away by one last push from the Bearer of Hope. Once he landed back on his feet, he decided to cast a new spell: he raised the dark sword and called forth a large number of colorful balloons that he stroke away, making them spiral and fly towards Sora, who got hit harshly. But the young boy casted a healing spell that refreshed him and put him back in condition.

"The light will only bring doubts to your heart, foolish boys! This darkness is the only answer you need! It's worthless to just run away from it. Do not fear. It only yearns for a home inside your spirits." Tsukuyomi would not stop in his task to bring Sora's heart to the dark side.

"That's why I'll face it, with my head held high!" Sora exclaimed defiantly and shot three fireballs that his enemy dodged by teleporting behind him, but the counter attack bounced off when the heroic boy parried the sneak attack. He used this opening to initiate an assault of six hits that ended with a harder swing that knocked the enemy away. "How's that!?"

Tsukuyomi would keep on fighting until he couldn't do anymore. He was determined to make the boy yield to the darkness. He was, however, interrupted by a familiar girl's voice.

 _"Just a little more and you'll be free, Riku!"_

"Stop!" Tsukuyomi grasped his head in pain, resisting the influence of whoever was supporting Sora in freeing Riku from the darkness of the god of destruction. "Do not interfere!"

 _"Sora, Riku!"_

"Huh? That voice..." Sora pondered in thought about the memory he heard in his mind, but he quickly snapped out of his thoughts to continue the fight. He ran towards his target and slashed away a little more, pushing Tsukuyomi's vessel further to the wall.

"This fight isn't yours to take, boys!" Tsukuyomi exclaimed, dashing towards Sora and swinging the dark Keyblade to his target, hitting home with a combo of three slashes. He decided to cast Gravity to finish the boy off, but the sphere was slow enough for Sora to dodge it successfully.

"Now is a good time to finish this! Light, come forth!" Sora exclaimed, and in a blinding flash of light, his clothes didn't change color, but he now was wearing a small crown in his head and wielding a stronger Keyblade with a sharper end, what looked like a small star and heart in the tip, a blue color palette and many other features that looked spiky, with a heart in the center, at the hilt. It was the "Ultima Weapon".

"So, this is where the light can take you, huh... I will rip it apart from you!" Tsukuyomi said, attempting to stab Sora in the chest, but was blocked.

"Here comes my ultimate attack!" Sora boasted, slashing as hard as he could that the scenery before them shattered like glass and transported them to a void with golden and blue light. They were now floating in the middle of a shining scenery, the perfect background for the final attack!

 **Two Become One**

"Sora!" exclaimed a voice near the boy.

"Huh?" Sora turned around and saw a boy that looked familiar to him. "Hey, are you... Who are you?"

The boy in particular had an appearance similar to Sora, with brown hair that wasn't as spiky as the hero's, the same sapphire blue eyes, a white jacket with short sleeves, an wristband with a finish line color pattern in his left wrist, what looked like a black ring and a white one in his left index and middle fingers respectively, white baggy jeans and black sneakers with red straps. There was also an "X" for a zipper in the black shirt he wore underneath. His appearance probably triggered some memories in the hero's mind.

"Don't tell me you don't remember your other half, Sora." he said.

"You're... Roxas, right?"

"Yeah, but we have no time to waste!" Roxas summoned two Keyblades: one that represented the light element in his left hand, the "Oathkeeper", and another one that represented the dark element, the "Oblivion". "Let's finish this guy already!"

"Right, together!" Sora exclaimed as he begun the assault by gliding and slashing towards Tsukuyomi, who was trapped in a state of suspended animation in midair until he was attacked. Roxas joined in with a slash of his own, crossing through the enemy to the other side. They both kept at it by cross-slashing the enemy multiple times in rapid succession for at least ten or eighteen seconds until both boys joined forces, grasping the Ultima Weapon, spinning rapidly and performing one final swing to deal the coup de grace that defeated the enemy!

 _*Music stops*_

"Gah! No way..." Tsukuyomi muttered in defeat, now back at the normal city landscape, dropped on the floor.

"So, guess this is my victory." Sora returned to his normal form, as well as his Keyblade. He was now looking down to Riku's body dropped on the floor, a little worried about the outcome. "Riku, can you hear me? It's me, Sora..." He also saw that Roxas was nowhere in sight. He must have retreated back inside the boy's heart.

Sora saw a small flash of light above, and then... recognized it. A small blue gem with the shape of a heart, reminiscent of something called "Kingdom Hearts", something that was in the boy's mind once he saw the item.

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Friends in My Heart_

He saw the gem descending to him and grasped it with both of his hands, gazing upon its shining beauty. "Is this... my Hope?"

"Congratulations, Sora." The boy noticed that Riku's diamond blue eyes returned. "You earned your prize. You won fair and square."

"Riku... Is that really you?"

"Yeah... But you gotta help me. You gotta keep fighting, 'cause I'm in my own fight here with this monster taking my body. I might not have much time, but I hope we can see each other again... and fight like old times..."

"Right." Sora nodded and smiled. "I'll be waiting for you to come back, but in your normal state."

"Well..." A dark vortex manifested under Riku's body and started dragging him down. "See you soon." And with that, he dissappeared.

Sora stored the Hope in his pocket and looked to the night sky, directly towards the heart moon.

"Just you wait, guys... I'll set you free when the time comes."

 _Final Fantasy IX Music - The Prelude_

 _Sora's devotion to protect his friends_  
 _drove him towards the right path and helped him obtain his Hope,_  
 _even if those friends were at the brink of darkness._

 _His journey continues_  
 _as he keeps thinking of his friends,_  
 _who also wish him good luck,_  
 _empowering him and his resolve._

 _When will the day come_  
 _in which he can finally be with his friend, back together?_  
 _Such are the pains of worrying,_  
 _but Sora knows how to deal with that pain, strengthening his heart._


	9. Arle Nadja: Another New World

_"Someone... something... is getting in my head!"_

 _"Ringo... you have to stop me."_

 _"Well, I was playing Puyo, and next thing I know, I'm here!"_

 _"Now that the sun is so big and hot, I can get the perfect tan and become the most popular guy in the world!"_

 _"SAAATAAANNNNNNNNNN!"_

 _"Oh, hey Arle! Guess you still haven't gone back home."_

 _"Maybe if we pop some more Puyos, we can get you back!"_

Realm of Genesis - Meadow of Beginnings

 _Puyo Puyo 7 Music - Manzai 2_

Girl in blue and white armor: "*long yawn* ...Huh? This is wierd. Shouldn't we be in an inn or somewhere that's familiar?"

Small yellow creature with bunny ears: "Guu!"

Girl in blue and white armor: "Oh! Mornin', Carby!"

Carbuncle: "Gu guu!"

Girl in blue and white armor: "Say, you know this place? It looks so similar to our world."

Carbuncle: *thinking position* "Guu."

Girl in blue and white armor: *frowning* "You don't know...? Well, we can look around."  
*shocked expression* "Huh? Why do I feel like I forgot a lot of important stuff?"

Carbuncle: *thinking position* "Guu?"

Girl in blue and white armor: *smiling* "Well, doesn't matter. Let's worry about that later."  
"Hey, do you see that over there, Carby?"

Carbuncle: *turning around* "Gu gu gu?"

Girl in blue and white armor: "Over there! A town nearby!"

Carbuncle: *jumping excitedly* "Gu gu guu!"

Girl in blue and white armor: "Wanna go there, Carby?"

Carbuncle: *turning to see the girl* "Gu guu!"

Girl in blue and white armor: *pointing to the town with a happy face, winking* "Alright, here we go!"

Thus, they went together towards the town's location.

Realm of Genesis - Fountain of Gathering

 _Puyo Puyo 7 Music - Manzai 1_

Gilgamesh: *swinging a spear* "Hiyah! D'oh, missed again..."

Ryo: *fighting position, toothy smile* "You call that an attack, mister Gilgamesh!?"

Girl in blue and white armor: *frowning, question mark popping from her head* "Huh? What are those two up to?"

Carbuncle: "Guu!"

Girl in blue and white armor: *smiling, sweatdropping* "Maybe we should just keep our distance and watch them fight."

Carbuncle: *jumping excitedly* "Gu gu guu, gu guu!"

The clash continued.

 _Final Fantasy Music - Clash on the Big Bridge_

Ryo dashed towards Gilgamesh and swung his right hand, with a claw extending out of the spike, and connected the hit towards the enemy's left leg. Gilgamesh raised said leg and hopped back in pain. The big opponent decided to use an attack of his own by unsheathing a katana from the wide arrangement of blades that he had, jumped forward and swung it down, but his target dodged to the side in time.

"Oh, stop moving so fast!" Gilgamesh moaned in complaint.

"You said you wanted a challenge yourself, mister!" Ryo retorted, launching a sphere of blue energy from his hands that hit Gilgamesh in the face, pushing him back.

"Oof! Very well, then... I'll unleash the power of my sword!" Gilgamesh exclaimed, brandishing a knife with a yellow chiken figure for the sharp area that the hooded swordsman swung, this time scoring a clean hit on Ryo's right arm.

"Hey! Was that supposed to hurt? I just felt a small sting!" Indeed, the slash wasn't so strong, but it still hurt Ryo a little.

"You just wait until I unleash my strongest sword!" Gilgamesh exclaimed triumphantly.

"Oh yeah?" Ryo prepared another attack. "Then I bring you my..." The tail behind the human-turned-Lucario shone a bright white light, and he dashed towards his target, moving his rear and swinging his tail to slap Gilgamesh right on the face. "...own variation!"

"Ack! What was that!?" The big man was shocked at the sight of such an unusual attack.

"Well, technically, you can call it my version of a sword, but it's kinda hard to explain." Ryo scratched the back of his head, smiling with a drop of sweat appearing in his expression.

"Well, no matter, 'cause here I go!" Gilgamesh brandished a long spear and tried to stab his opponent right in the middle, but was blocked by the spikes on the creature's hands covering him.

"Your technique needs some work, sir," Ryo adviced. "You need more unpredictability in your moves."

"Oh? Then how about THIS!?" Gilgamesh jumped high with his spear in hand and fell to the ground, hitting his opponent with speed and pushing him away. The big guy's head was buried for a few seconds before he jumped back on his feet.

"Woah," Ryo said in awe. "I wanna do that too! Except for the part where your head is underground for a second."

Gilgamesh simply brandished his "Chiken Knife" once more and swung it as hard as he could, but Ryo, even knowing that the weapon's damage output was a little pathetic, dodged away from it. "Well, it seems that I have no choice. Witness the power of the legendary sword!" Gilgamesh brandished a long blue and silver sword from behind and swung it multiple times, dealing as much damage as he could to his target. "Gyahahahahahahah!"

...But Ryo crossed his arms with a bored expression, not feeling any pain at all from the flurry of slashes.

"Sir... I think your weapon is broken. (He lost me for a moment with his toy sword.)"

"Wahahaha─ What?" Gilgamesh stopped his assault to look at the blade that he brandished. "Oh, no! I picked the wrong one!" He threw his sword away and grabbed his head in despair, feeling utterly miserable for swinging the weakest of weapons. The sword bonked Ryo's head harmlessly and bounced to the ground. The hooded duelist regained his composure. "Heh heh, that was just a small demonstration. You need to wait a little longer to see my true power, young lad!" He brandished a katana and spun in place, creating a tornado that hit Ryo with force, pushing him away, near the staircase to the north.

"Now THAT was an attack, mister!" Ryo exclaimed, jumping back on his feet. "But can you handle this?" He dashed towards Gilgamesh and used a lot of force to unleash a devastating attack of his own. Once he reached his opponent, he released a flurry of punches straight to the enemy at blinding speed. "Hrrraaaaah!" The last punch launched Gilgamesh away a few feet towards the fountain in the middle.

"Ohoh! Ouch!" Gilgamesh was impressed at such a demonstration in power. "Woah, nice one, boy! Now let's see if you like this!" He brandished the weak blue sword again, but realized his mistake, put it away, and grabbed a red and golden sword this time. "Yes. This is the one! Witness the power of..." He raised the sword to the sunlight, its tip shining. "EXCALIBUR!"

"Can I have it?" Ryo asked in excitement.

"What!? No! Only true heroes can wield this legendary sword! It's not for you, so, sorry, kid!"

"Awww..." Ryo sulked in disapointment. "(If that thing is his strongest sword, the I gotta be careful not to get hit.)"

"Ultimaaaate..." Gilgamesh put himself in position to prepare his attack and swiftly dashed at a blinding speed, slashing Ryo away and behind him. "ATTACK!"

"Woaaaaah!" Ryo was flung away to the sky and fell hard on his back, with a lot of pain coursing through his body. "Gah! I guess... this is the end..." he muttered before passing out.

 _Dissidia AC/NT Music - Victory Fanfare (Villains)_

"Waahahahaha!" Gilgamesh laughed triumphantly to the sky. "I am still the best! Now, on towards my search for Bartz!" With that, he turned around and left the town, searching for whoever Bartz Klauser was.

 _*Music stops*_

 _"Can't do this, can't do that... I'm tired of being told what to do!"_

 _"I don't know why, but I can read this."_

 _"My old Pops... I kinda miss him... I hope he's okay..."_

While unconscious, Ryo's mind was swirling with blurry memories that he thought was dreaming things that might have happened before.

Back with the new girl...

 _Puyo Puyo 20th Anniversary Music - Puyo! Comic Dialogue_ ~ _Ayeyaiyai_ ~

Girl with blue and white armor: *shocked expression* "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Did that guy hurt you a lot?"

Ryo: *slowly getting up, moaning* "Mmmm..."  
*up on his feet, grabbing his head, hunched* "Woah... that was... the best attack ever..."

Carbuncle: *mouth wide open* "Gu gu guu!"

Girl in blue and white armor: *smiling* "Great, you're fine!"

Ryo: *shocked expression* "Hm? Who are you? And what's up with the little guy behind you?"

Girl in blue and white armor: "Well, hello! My name is Arle Nadja! And the little guy is Carbuncle! Say "Hi", Carby!"

Carbuncle: "Gu guu!"

Ryo: *smiling* "Well, hello there, little Carbunny. I'm Ryo, by the way."

Arle: "Nice to meetcha, Ryo!"  
"Say, do you know what this place is?"

Ryo: *scratching the back of his head* "Well, I don't know much. I just arrived, much like you, you know?"  
"That makes us both strangers in a new land, don'tcha think so, guys?"

Carbuncle: *smiling* "Guu!"

Arle: "Oh well, no use worrying about it, right?"  
"Oh, also, you think there's people around here? It's a bit lonely for a town like this one."

Ryo: *smiling with mouth wide open, showing his small fangs* "I'm just waiting to meet these guys! I wanted to find someone friendly, and looky here!"  
*thinknig position* "Now I wanna ask this: are you one of the Bearers of Hope?"

Arle: "What are you talking about?"

Ryo: *scratching the back of his head* "Well, uh, Genesis told me about them. We're all here together, fighting to save this place."  
"Weren't you called here?"

Arle: *nervous happy expression* "You're saying wierd stuff, Ryo. But I think I'll understand."  
*frowning* "But one thing first. Did you just call Carby "Carbunny"?"

Ryo: *smiling* "Yeah, any problem?"

Arle: "Well, it made something in my mind click... but I don't know what it is..."

Ryo: *thinking position* "I think I know how it feels. Amnesia, right?"  
"Well, that makes us two, then, 'cause I don't remember a single thing from before I came here."  
*smiling* "We'll just have to fight to get our memories back, in that case."

Carbuncle: *smiling wide* "Gu guu!"

Arle: *smiling* "Hey, I think I see someone coming down those huge stairs!"

Ryo: *shocked expression* "Oh? Well, looks like they decided to show up!"  
"(Could it be one of those heroes Genesis told me about?)"

The next scene played.

 _Puyo Puyo 7 Music - Manzai 2_

Sora: *smiling wide* "Hey, guys, I'm back!"

Terra: *smiling hopefully* "Sora! Thank goodness you made it back!"

Morgana (normal cat form): "Did you get the treasure?" *Akira translates*

Sora: *showing his Hope* "Yup! Look at it shine!"

Noel: *smiling* "Well done, Sora! I knew you could do it!"

Sora: *smiling* "It's all thanks to you, guys. You made me think about my resolve."

Akira: *normal expression* "But we did nothing to help. You just fought by yourself."

Sora: "But I got my Hope because you were cheering me on."

Akira: *smiling* "Okay, then that means we did something."

Noel: *thinking position* "Hey, look over there. New people."

Terra: *shocked aback* "Is that a monster!?"

Sora: *calm expression* "Nah, it doesn't look like an aggressive one. Let's meet them."

Arle: *smiling* "Oh, hey there! I'm Arle, and this here is my little friend, Carby!"

Carbuncle: *mouth wide open* "Guu!"

Terra: *smiling* "Nice to meet you, Arle! It's a good thing to meet new faces around here."

Akira: "Are you here to help?"

Carbuncle: *thinking position, question mark appearing on his head* "Guu?"

Morgana: "We're here to fight for the world. We need to protect it from the god of destruction himself before he awakens."

Arle: *shocked expression* "No way, are you kidding!? We're gonna fight a strong opponent!?"  
*pointing a finger, happy expression* "You can count me in! Carby and I are good at fighting monsters! Right, buddy?"

Carbuncle: *jumping excitedly* "Guu guu!"

Terra: "Well, that makes a new addition to the team! Let's fight together!"

 **Arle and Carbuncle have forged a bond with the Bearers of Hope!**

Ryo: "..."

Sora: *thinking position* "Hey, who's the blue guy with the messy hair?"

Ryo: *shocked aback* "Oh! Sorry, I was just watching."

Terra: *shocked aback* "It talks!?"

Ryo: *scratching the back of his head* "(Oops. There goes the first impression.)"  
"Anyways, I'm Ryo. You guys must be the Bearers of Hope, right?"

Sora: *pumping a fist* "You bet!"

Ryo: *smiling* "Good! Then I wanna join you."

Noel: *thinking position* "This soon already? But aren't you a monster?"

Ryo: *red cartoony vein popping on his head, angry expression* "Why do I get called a monster a lot!? I'm a human who got turned into what you're looking at! Where's my respect!?"

Morgana: "(I'm feeling some irony in me right now...)"

Terra: *shocked aback* "Woah, easy there, Ryo!"

Ryo: *calm expression* "Sorry, I didn't mean to do that. Must've been an instinct or something."

Sora: "Well, I guess it can't be helped."  
"You wanna join us, right?"

Noel: "First thing's first: no getting angry. And you gotta prove to us that you're human."

Morgana: *lowering his head sadly* "But I'm here... I'm human, you know?"

Akira: *grinning cockily* "You won't count here, Mona, sorry."

Morgana: "You guys are mean..."

Akira: "Just kidding."

Ryo: *smiling* "Okay, I think I can do that fine. Can I join now?"

Terra: *smiling shyly* "Yes. Just promise us that you won't get in a fit. Got it?"

Ryo: "Got it."

 **Ryo has forged a bond with the Bearers of Hope!**

The next scene played.

 _Puyo Puyo Fever 2 Music - PuyoFe Manzai_ ~ _Strange_ ~

?: "Ha ha ha. Seems that I found my dear girly. Ha ha ha."

Arle: *shocked expression* "Who's there!?"

Carbuncle: *frowning* "Guu."

Demonic man in blue robes: "Aah, if it isn't the Bearers of Hope. But I'm only here for my Arley."

Arle: *pointing a finger, angry expression* "What do you want, you evil man?"

Demonic man in blue robes: "Arley, remember me?"

Arle: *frowning* "Uuhhh... No, sorry..."

Demonic man in blue robes: "Well, guess I'll just introduce myself to all of you, then."  
*raising both hands high, smiling evily* "It is I, Satan, the Prince of Darkness, ruler of the Puyo Hell and casanova extraordinaire! I have come!"  
"I am here to challenge anyone who dares to oppose my invitation for a good conversation. But most importantly..."  
*crossing his arms, blush stickers appearing on his cheeks, smiling* "Arley! Carbunny! How are you doing? Fine? Fine!"

Arle: *frowning confused* "What are you talking about, mister?"

Satan: *shocked aback* "Huh? Don't tell me you... You don't remember me?"  
*mumbling* "It looks like they took away even the memories she had about lovely me..."

Ryo: *angry expression* "Hey, mister, even if you're saying wierd things like inviting Arle for a date, I won't let you have her."

Sora: *defiant expression* "Yeah, even if we just met her, we'll fight you off so that you don't bother us any longer."

Satan: *smiling* "Hoh! Looks like you got some new friends, Arley. How about if I play with the little puppy over there?"  
*raising both hands high, smiling evily* "You shall bear witness the power of the Underworld, fool!"  
"Puyo showdown!"

In a flash of light, the group was transported to another battlefield.

Satan's Tower - Top Floor Balcony

 _Puyo Puyo Music - Final of Puyo Puyo_

Satan transported the heroes to a balcony atop of a large tower in the middle of a grassy meadow, with the sky displaying the sunset over the horizon. "Woah!" Ryo looked around in awe. "Now this looks like a final dungeon!"

"Indeed! You like it? Now, like this!" Satan exclaimed as he began the battle by launching a purple fireball towards Ryo, who dodged in time. The Prince of Darkness then tried to attack by freezing the floor below the Lucario's feet, successfully stopping him in his tracks.

"Ah!" Ryo looked below and saw his feet trapped in ice. He struggled to get out of the icy prison. "C'mon, move!"

But Satan did not expect the hero to have an idea. He was taken aback in the middle of his laughter by a sphere of blue energy that pushed him away and snapped him back to the battle. The Dark Prince raised a finger to the sky and called forth a thunderbolt that zapped the helpless Bearer of Hope.

"Hang in there, Ryo!" Terra cried, releasing a healing spell that put Ryo back in tip-top shape.

"Phew, thanks, miss." Ryo felt his fighting spirit revitalized.

 **Terra has strengthened her bond with Ryo a little.**

"Hey!" Satan called out. "This is a one-on-one battle, you can't help him! That's cheating!"

"Sorry, it had to be done." Terra said apologetically.

The battle continued, and Satan released a swirly purple vortex above Ryo, who was still struggling to break free from the ice that trapped his feet in place and recieved an attack consisting of many thunderbolts coming out of the vortex, damaging him considerably. Ryo realized something and tried out a different move. He clanged the spikes on his hands, creating a deafening soundwave that made Satan cover his ears as he felt a part of his defense diminish. "(Oh, it actually worked. Now let's see...)" Ryo charged up another sphere of blue energy and shot it towards the staggering enemy, successfully hitting him for great damage.

"Grrraaah! That really hurt!" Satan decided to raise his left arm to the sky with an open palm, grasping a swirly purple vortex in his hand that released gray balls of hardened goo above him that crashed on Ryo's head like a shower of meteors.

"Is that his variation of Comet?" Terra asked.

"I think it looked a bit like Megidola," Akira said.

"No, guys." Arle decided to butt in and inform the oblivious heroes. "Those looked like Nuisance Puyos."

"So that's what they are..." Noel muttered in thought.

"When is he gonna pull a Gravity spell?" Sora interrupted.

"You liked it, didn't you, puppy?" Satan asked rhetorically.

Ryo's feet finally broke through the ice as he jumped slightly. "Okay, back in action!" He dashed towards the enemy and extended one claw to him, slashing the robe's right sleeve, almost hitting Satan.

"Grrr! This cost me a lot to sow!" Satan summoned forth a wave of icy stalagmites that ran through the floor, aiming it towards Ryo, who jumped away from the attack in time.

"Maybe I can share a little money for ya." Ryo searched through his bag and found a throwaway item: a sharp silver spiky "twig". He flung it with speed towards Satan's left leg and hit home.

"Nooo! Now I have to fix this beautiful garment! You don't know all the hard work I had to go through with this, you stupid mutt!" Satan cried as he summoned a dark wave from a purple vortex in his hands that the hero dodged quickly.

"Yeah! Go go go!" Sora cheered.

"Make him regret his choice!" Akira shouted nearby.

Ryo, even though he was focused in the fight, he was thinking about the small silver spike that he threw earlier. The words "trinket" and "gift" echoed in his mind, but he had trouble recalling the individual who gave him those small throwaway weapons.

A small remembrance appeared in his mind...

 _"I don't have any parents at home to worry about."_

"Huh?" Ryo wanted to know more about who this orphan was, but he snapped back to the fight against the "casanova" Satan.

"Go kick his butt, Ryo!" Arle cheered on.

"Gu guu!" Carbuncle jumped excitedly at the sight of the entertaining battle.

As it went on, Arle could only think about two things: How were she and Carbuncle going home and how will they retrieve their lost memories? The answers would be found in the future, for now there was nothing else to do but observe the ongoing clash.


	10. Behind The Conflict

Realm of Tsukuyomi - Round Table of Mischief

 _Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Music - Organization XIII_

Kefka, Terumi and Akechi were gathered in the round table in which their usual planning took place, with the table and seats in question being located in a desolate land floating above a dark purple abyss of nothingness with the sky seemingly nonexistent, as everything in the realm of the god of destruction looked like a lifeless purple void. The realm itself was a network of floating pieces of land being connected by bridges made of roots. The round table was located specifically in the penultimate piece of land, being previous to the god's throne.

Among the darkness of the realm, the three villains began talking among each other.

"Looks like the little key boy got his shiny treasure before the others," Kefka began. "He just won the race for who finished their journey first."

"As for the progress that they made for now," Akechi spoke. "they are doing an efficient job. Perhaps we must quicken our pace in order to catch up to them. As for different matters, though... How is the vessel doing?"

Terumi answered with slight annoyance regarding Riku. "Oh, he's doing fine, as long as the control doesn't get disrupted again by that stupid bitch. We don't want anymore intruders in the opperation. Tsukuyomi wants to decieve these Bearers of Hope to make sure that they distrust each other, and it'll be fun when they kill each other without knowing who's the real bad guy. Isn't that your plan, mister god of destruction?"

Tsukuyomi was also present in the conversation, observing attentively the unconscious Riku resting on a chair on the other side of the table. The god of destruction, in particular, was actually a crow with shiny black feathers, silver eyes and gray legs. He was perched on top of the sleeping Riku's head, seeing that he needed to let his body rest for another occassion to possess him.

"These children are simply getting in the way of my ultimate plan," Tsukuyomi spoke with a sultry baritone voice. "They are a hindrance, and you still are incapable of stopping them? They are not strong enough to even slay an abomination like you, Terumi. Once I reach the pinnacle of my strength, they, along with their Hopes, will be never more, and every realm that exists will be devoured in darkness to empower me and become the ruler of everything." He paused to glare at Akechi reprehensively. "Akechi, my boy, do you have any plans of betraying us? I can feel a small flickering light in your heart, and it calls for someone in Genesis' ranks. I will be more wary of your actions as of today, Akechi." He paused to look at everyone. "Now, I see that the Bearers of Hope are simply relaxing with their friendly charade. Thus, you are dismissed until further notice. You can have time for yourselves in your usual posts. As for me, I shall be at my respective seat." With that, the corvid character flew away to his throne to think by his lonesome.

"Hmmm..." Kefka had a mischievous expression towards Akechi. "Do you really wanna leave the big boss behind, sketchy Akechi?"

Akechi simply remained calm and answered solemnly. "No, I am only doing what was called of me."

"Is that so? Are you trying to get on our good side? Don't play tricks on us, buddy. You don't wanna see the boss angry."/p

"If you'll excuse me," Akechi said as he stood up. "I'll be busy observing the actions of the others." He simply walked away from the round table to mind his own business.

"What's up with him?" Terumi asked. "He's acting like he wants to have more fun with those assholes of Hope."

"I think he's more like wanting to shine like a lightbulb and backstab us." Kefka was indeed becoming too suspicious of Akechi. Only the events that would play out in the future would reveal everything.

Realm of Tsukuyomi - God's Pad

 _Persona 5 Music - Alleycat_

Tsukuyomi's throne was not simply the usual seat with regal and gothic decorations; it was a dried tree with no leaves to cover its gray branches in the middle of a lonely expanse of land floating amidst the purple darkness of the god's realm. The god of destruction was perched on one of the long branches, looking up towards the nonexistent sky, thinking about someone he remembered in the past. He was thinking about the events before the current generation of warriors made its presence.

"Genesis," he began in a silent tone of voice. "You are yourself... never more... my goddess... You have changed quite drastically from the last time I saw you. You summoned forth your forces to direct an attack towards my throne, with all the benevolence of a true leader. Who were they, now that I am reminiscing? Ah, yes. One of them was... a certain "Cloud Strife", yes? Then perhaps I made the right decision of calling forth his archnemesis Sephiroth. Both of them seem to have lost their way after everything ended, perhaps. Where could they be? And... where are you now, Genesis? You are not as benevolent as I remember... I am saddened at the fact that you are only calling forth warriors to carry out a task that would only benefit your own desire and not a collective one. Have you become selfish? It is the same thing never more; not like the time in which you summoned a certain "Ginji" to duel against Gengar in hopes of seeing which side would triumph for dominance... Dominance...? **Dominance**? Are you now fighting only for dominance, Genesis? I do wish for dominance over your realm to feed off my hunger, certainly, but you cannot simply rule over a realm like a tyrant of the sort. Why did you have to turn darker, my goddess? Where did the old times go? We were entertaining ourselves when we both saw that "Ringo Andou" fend off against Ecolo in a literally colorful match with so much going on. Just how will things turn up? Will I ever see you once again, my goddess? My **real** Genesis? ...I suppose it is worthless to dwell in the past for much longer; even I still remember observing with delight the fight that this "Yu Narukami" had against Adachi. But now, what will become of me when the final battle commences?" He took a long pause to think about the Bearers of Hope. "Terra... Only you and your companions can stop this conflict, either before I devour everything or before the tyranny becomes innevitable..."

Tsukuyomi heard some steps from afar among the silence.

"Nuzleaf... Ganondorf... Kuro... It seems you have arrived earlier than I anticipated."


	11. Shulk: To Change Fated Oblivion

_"If you see a vision you don't like, we're gonna change it together. Got it?"_

 _"Don't get cocky. Stay focused, stay sharp."_

 _"I swear I won't stop, until I scrap each and everyone of you!"_

 _"Father!"_

 _"Riki chosen because Riki special."_

 _"It's so peaceful. You know, Shulk? I hope every day could be like this always."_

Satan's Tower - Top Floor Balcony

Satan: *upset expression* "Hrrr. Guess I got too careless again."  
"But I'll be back for a rematch, and then I'll get Arley."

A dark vortex appeared below Satan's feet and dragged him back to Tsukuyomi's world.

Ryo: *smiling* "That wasn't so bad. I could do some warmups now and then."

Arle: "Great job out there, Ryo!"

Carbuncle: *jumping excitedly* "Gu guu!"

Akira: *snapping his fingers* "Now cue the flash that's gonna take us back to the town."

And indeed, a flash of light took them back to the town.

Town of the Invited - Fountain of Gathering

 _Persona 5 Music - Beneath The Mask_

Back at the town's central fountain, the sun was setting beyond the horizon, and the heroes decided to take a break.

...Not before noticing a newcomer, of course.

The person was standing at the entrance, observing with an intrigued expression the large golden bird standing in one side of it. He saw such creatures back home, but not one that looked so docile. He looked to the front and noticed Ryo approaching him.

"Hey, pal," Ryo greeted. "Say, what are you doing here looking at Boko like that? You wanna ride him, or something like that?"

"Oh," the new guy responded. "Good afternoon, uh... whatever you are. Sorry to bother you, but I was just interested in this peculiar bird. Will you let me investigate it more closely, if you don't mind?"

Ryo noticed the person's appearance. He was a teenage boy with round blonde hair, a red leather vest over a black shirt with long sleeves, red leather shorts over black pants, and a pair of red sneakers. He also noticed the boy's weapon: a red mechanical sword with glowing blue lines and a circle made of glass in the middle. The Lucario was also taken aback by the boy's unique accent and a deeper voice for someone his age.

Ryo decided to ask something back. "Uuuhh... Whaddya wanna do with Boko? Are you a biologist, whatever that is? What's your name, by the way?"

Politely, the blonde newcomer decided to answer. "I just want to see this bird more closely, that's all. It's not that important, really. Oh, and my name is Shulk. Pleased to meet you." Shulk introduced himself, extending a hand to Ryo.

"I'm Ryo, and yeah, I'm also happy to see a new guy join our team." Ryo exclaimed while shaking hands with Shulk.

"As for you, Ryo... What are you?"

"Oh, I forgot." Ryo felt a bit offended at the question, but decided to answer honestly. "You see, I'm not what you're looking at. Sure, it's cool to be a Pokémon and use all these awesome attacks to pummel the bad guys, but I was a human before this. Can you believe it?"

Shulk was having doubts about the creature's statements. He got into a thinking position. "Uuuh... Not quite. Sorry, Ryo, but you need to prove to me that you're a human under that appearance."

"Well, for starters, I can speak your language."

"That's a first. What else?"

"I also remember that I once woke up in a planet with only Pokémon in it. So far so good, buddy?"

"Hmmm..." Shulk was thinking thoroughly about the statements. Could he really believe such a strange story? "First thing's first: what is a Pokémon?"

"Well..." Ryo tried to find the best explanation he could think about. "They're these cute and cool creatures that come in different spiecies, they can also fight with some sort of elemental attacks like fire-breathing and psychic waves and─ Wait, what did I say again? I think I felt something in my head."

"Well, I think you've said a little bit of what I was trying to get, but it'll do for now. And you were saying "fire-breathing and psychic waves" some seconds ago." Shulk couldn't help feeling bothered by such a miniscule reaction from Ryo, since he noticed something wierd. "Is it important? Like some sort of memento?"

"Shulk buddy," Ryo said as he had a nervous expression, feigning a happy one. "You're worrying too much. Let's just go for a bite!"

"Okay. I myself am hungry for something good." Shulk followed Ryo towards the Glutton's Gallery. "And about Boko ─ that's his name, right? ─, you might want to consider handing him over to me so that I could observe his behavior."

"Sounds good to me! But no sketchy business, okay?"

"Heh, got it."

 **Shulk has forged a bond with the Bearers of Hope!**

Meanwhile...

Realm of Tsukuyomi - Kefka's Pad

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - Kefka_

Kefka was observing through a projection from his pad the small exchange between Ryo and Shulk, the evil clown being interested in the latter's weapon. The place where Kefka was standing at for the moment was a medium expanse of land with a couch with some gothic decorations composing it. For now, he was talking to himself.

"Oh? Looks like we have a perfect victim here. Now how are we gonna take that big toy of his? I should start thinking about a plan. Just how are we gonna make him spill the beans about that massive toy? He'll just have to show us his little spectacle and we'll get our hands in some beautiful information about how it works. Then I'll get to find the perfect chance to steal it and try it for myself. I can't wait to try it and see the marvelous potential it has! Well, I'm getting ahead of myself here, so I'll just watch and have fun with some popcorn, which I don't remember where I left it, but he's gonna make for some juicy entertainment. Maybe I'll get promoted if the boss gets his claws on it."

And the clown kept daydreaming out loud about Shulk's sword... Little did he know that its power was not for everyone...

Back with the heroes...

Inn of Resting - Shulk's Room

 _Xenoblade Chronicles Music - Colony 9 (Night)_

 **Nighttime - 8:00 p.m.  
**

The room in which Shulk decided to rest in was decently big enough to hold at least two or three people. It had a bed between the window on the left side overlooking the meadow and a working table with books on the top shelf, and a medium carpet with a brown pattern in its center, yellow and green fabric around it, placed in the middle of the room. Shulk was looking through the window, gazing upon the meadow under the full moon's light, mumbling to himself.

"Now this is something you don't get to experience every day. Waking up one morning on a meadow when you remember sleeping on a bed last night, finding a town after fighting your way through monochromatic robots and meeting the most unique individuals. And now they tell me I'm part of a grandiose battle between two gods? I think that sounds familiar for some reason. And then you realize one moment later... that you have lost your past memories to an evil god hiding in the shadows... only to be reforged into those robots they call "Blanks". Guess we can only go further by playing our part in this war. I wonder, though... What would happen if we encounter this dark god? Will we be strong enough to defeat him? Will we really go back home once we win this fight? ...And to top it all off... First you must find your "Hope" to continue your journey. Nothing like a battle of this scale could make live in peace. I may not remember much about my past, though, but I'm willing to save this realm from being engulfed in darkness forever."

For now, though, the boy needed to rest, so he walked to the bed and lay low, and fell asleep after a few moments.

Inn of Resting - Ryo's Room

Meanwhile, with the human-turned-Pokémon, he was busying himself with something. The room he was in was not too small, with walls painted purple in the lower half and white in the upper half, a single window overlooking the night sky, and a straw bed with a blanket for cover. Ryo was not sleeping, though, as he was training his mind so that he could deliver telepathic messages whenever he needed to give advice from afar, but he was having trouble with it.

"(Guess I'm not skilled enough for this. Seriously, someone told me that Lucario could use telepathy and I'm the only one who can't? Maybe I'm just tired after all that fighting with the bad guys. Oh well, time to sleep.)"

He yawned and got back to his straw bed, sleeping under the small but warm blanket that the managers of the inn provided him with.

Inn of Resting - Noel's Room

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - Celes' Theme_

Noel, however, was finding sleep slipping away from her as she felt uneasy about something in her mind. A memory resurging, perhaps? ...No, it was a bit too early to start remembering. Sure, the Blanks held pieces of each of the heroes' pasts, but was defeating them making those memories return to their minds? That was the question Noel had in her mind at the moment as she was looking through the window of her room. She had a dream of the sorts; one that wasn't very pleasant. Something about "Murakumo" and "Azure". Where did she heard those words before? Those questions were preventing Noel from sleeping calmly.

"What kind of life did I have in my past?" she asked to herself. "Was I... someone else? I think... it's time I found out already, but... What if my Hope is the answer to this? Yes... I made up my mind. I'll get my Hope starting tomorrow morning." That was her resolve for now.

She was not aware of the waves of sorrow that the girl was emitting, which interrupted Ryo's sleep, drawing him towards the room.

A few knocks on the door and a voice that said "Sorry, but can I go in? You seem to be troubled..." made Noel open it and seeing Ryo stepping into the red carpet floor of the room.

"Hmm..." He felt the soft carpet soothing his feet. "This floor is comfy... But I'm here to talk with you, Noel. Is something bothering you? And before you ask, yes, I felt your pain. Let's just talk, okay?"

 **Ryo and Noel  
Heart-to-heart: A Purpose To Follow**

The two heroes were gazing through the window, observing the night sky above the flowery field that was the Meadow of Beginnings. Ryo decided to look at Noel by turning his face to his right, thinking of a way to comfort her. "Come on, tell me what's wrong."

Noel looked down, unsure of what to say. "Uhh..."

"You don't have to be afraid, Noel. Everyone is asleep tonight, so you're safe to tell me. What's wrong?"

She decided to raise her head slowly with a worried expression. "I... had a bad... dream about something... I'm not sure how to put it..."

"Well?" Ryo was expecting an explanation. "What was it about?"

"Okay... I... dreamt about what looked like a memory... but was it really something I experienced before? Did I... do something horrible before...?"

"No." Ryo shook his head. "I trust in you, Noel. You're a friend to all of us here, and you would never do anything bad."

"But, Ryo, do you even understand?" Noel looked a bit desperate. "What if I really did hurt innocent people and I don't even remember? I need to find out!"

Ryo was taken aback at the sudden small outburst. He simply decided to listen.

"I need to remember who I was in the past. That's why, tomorrow morning, I'll set out to find my Hope."

Ryo thought about his next words carefully.

 **─ Well, good luck...  
**─ **But what about...  
** ─ **I'll help...**

He chose what he thought were the correct words to say to her.

"Noel... You're not doing this by yourself. I'll help you, and you need good company, someone who can comfort you in the best way they can."

"Huh?" Noel was taken aback at the request. "Why? How are you gonna help me?"

─ **I'll protect you...  
** ─ **You'll see...**

"You don't have to worry. I'll protect you with my strength. It's because I care for you as a friend, just like the others..." Ryo scratched the back of his head. "Even though we just met a few hours ago."

"That's so... generous from you." Noel seemed to take the comment in a good manner. "I'll look forward to see you in action."

 **Ryo has strengthened his bond with Noel a little.**

"You said you were gonna go get your Hope, right?"

"Yes." Noel nodded with reassurance. "I believe it has something to do with the memories that I lost. Maybe it'll make me remember something, even if it's just the smallest bit."

"(The Hope...)" Ryo was thinking about what the Hope might have in common to them as people. "(I won't be surprised if it does restore some memories. We'll just have to see for ourselves.)"

"I don't really know what will happen once I go for it, though. If the trip is that dangerous, you'll protect me, just like you said."

─ **If your memories return...  
** ─ **It'll all go well...**

Ryo thought carefully about his next words. He needed to comfort Noel before she set out to find what she would be looking for. He came up with a sentence that he was sure had the correct words. "I can assure you it'll all go well, Noel!" He winked. "Anything to help."

Noel, for once, smiled wholeheartedly. "I'm glad to know someone's looking after me. Thanks, Ryo."

"You can count on me."

 **Ryo has strengthened his bond with Noel greatly!**

"Well, it's getting late now," Noel said. "When we're ready, we'll go together to find my Hope. Do you understand?"

Ryo simply shook his head, not in denial, but in a way that would reassure Noel. "Are you kidding? You don't need to ask for my help. I'll be there for anyone! I'll help you the best way I can!"

"Heheh, right. Well, good night, Ryo."

"Sweet dreams, girl."

 **Heart-to-heart results:  
** **The spoken words reassured Noel, strengthening the bond thanks to the promise Ryo made.**

With the conversation finished, the two wnet back to their respective beds and fell asleep.

The night went on...

 _*Music stops*_

Town of the Invited - Gallery of the Bargainer

 **Morning - 6:30 a.m.**

Ryo decided to prepare before accompanying Noel in her journey to find her Hope by browsing the merchandise in the town's one and only shop, but not without Terra's help, since she was the only one among the Bearers of Hope to have knowledge about "gil", a type of currency she was familiar with and said currency being the only one used in this world. The coins in the Pokémon's bag, called "Poké", on the other hand, were worthless, so he had to rely on the girl with emerald hair to pay for the items he needed.

Ryo's eyes focused on a particular item: a bright red and orange feather shining under the morning sun, its mystic energy radiating up close. Grabbing it between his three thick fingers, the Lucario examined it curiously, as if he felt there was something important regarding a small feather.

"(Well, it looks pretty, alright. But why does it have this mystifying air around it?)" Ryo turned to look at Terra over the left and showed her the feather, wanting to know why there was an unique radiation escaping it.

"Oh, that?" Terra said as she looked at the item. "I think it's a Phoenix Down. Its power is said to revive a fallen comrade in battle, but only with a small amount of energy regained. It's going to come in handy, though."

"(So that's why it has this mystic energy. It must be like one of those Reviver Seeds, or something like that.)" Ryo moved the feather up close at eye level. He smiled at one thought. "(This is gonna be my lucky feather!)"

He also decided to buy other items, such as antidotes, a few apples to eat as appetizers whenever someone was getting hungry, a strange potion that the moogle clerk adressed as a "Panacea", said to heal all illnesses on one ally, and lastly, an accessory. Sure, it was an ornamental item, but most of them had many benefits, such as a small increase in strength, defense or agility, and even immunity to specific illnesses. The item Ryo decided to buy was something that really caught his attention: a golden bracelet, better known as a "Gold Anklet", said to prevent its wearer from becoming petrified as well as providing a small protection against magic attacks. Neither Terra nor Ryo knew why, but the Lucario felt an impulse, as if he was scared of something, motivating him to buy the golden accessory. Terra had to pay a considerable amount of gil for everything, and they left the shop afterwards, with Ryo now wearing the bracelet in his ankle.

"Come again soon, kupo!" The moogle waved the customers goodbye once they left. Now Ryo was truly prepared to protect Noel with his strength.

Town of the Invited - Fountain of Gathering

Noel was sitting on the fountain's edge platform, having a small chat with Shulk and Akira. Once she saw Ryo approaching, she looked at him. "So, now you're ready, right?"

"Of course." Ryo nodded once in confirmation. "You wanna go find your Hope? I'll help you with what I can do."

"That's the spirit." Shulk intervened. "I can see you are determined to help her the best way you can, so don't waver."

Ryo could feel... something missing... He turned around, feeling radiating waves of melancholy from the town's entrance. They were coming from Boko, who was looking into the Pokémon's bright ruby eyes. Ryo simply walked towards his Chocobo friend to comfort him by softly rubbing his right cheek.

 _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Music - At Dusk, I Will Think Of You_

"Boko," Ryo said soothingly. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I promise I'll come back to you once I'm finished doing Noel a favor, so don't feel down. I'm not leaving you behind, buddy. We might have just met yesterday, but we're good pals already, right?"

"Kweh!" Boko chirped with happy eyes.

Ryo smiled, showing his teeth a little. "That's what I wanted to hear. Oh! I have something right here." He took out a fresh apple from the bag in his waist and showed it to his feathered yellow friend. "I just bought it, and i was thinking about eating it whenever I got really hungry, but you can have it. You can say it's your little breakfast snack or something, and you'll like it." He moved the shiny apple to the bird's beak. "C'mon, buddy, grab a bite."

Boko bit hard with his beak on the apple, since he was toothless, doing quite the effort. There was no trouble in swallowing the piece in his mouth, though, and he enjoyed the juicy flavor. "Kweh!"

"I knew you'd like it." Ryo said, smiling. "Eat up before it looses its tastiness." He placed the apple on the floor in front of Boko, and observed the large bird crouching and chewing on the red fruit happily. "Gotta go, pal." Ryo patted Boko's head with care and turned to go towards the stairs, where Genesis awaited in her room. "See ya around!"

"Kweh!" Boko waved a wing to his friend, as a way of bidding him farewell.

"Well," Noel said once Ryo approached her. "Now it's time to get going." With that, she climbed the stairs with Ryo following behind, towards Genesis' room.

"That's a nice friend he has." Shulk said.

"More like odd to me." Akira noted to himself.

Shulk saw the two ascending the staircase to the sky, wondering how events would play out for them.

 _*Music stops*_

But in the next moment, his eyes began to glow blue, and a flash of light made him see something odd.

Altar

He saw Noel being quite careless in a fight against a man in a yellow hood, said man being Terumi, though Shulk didn't recognize him all too well. Terumi kicked the helpless girl upwards and summoned a chain with a serpent's head in the tip, swinging it and grabbing his target, initiating a series of diagonal kicks switching left and right. Then the villainous character appeared above Noel and punched downwards with a fist engulfed in a dark green aura with the shape of a snake, sending the helpless girl crashing to the floor, where she was unconscious.

Another flash of light snapped Shulk back to the present.

Town of the Invited - Fountain of Gathering

"Wah!" Shulk stepped back with a surprised expression in his face, startling Akira nearby.

"Hey, what was that?" Akira asked. "Did you see something?"

Shulk responded with less shock. "Yeah. I think I saw Noel getting beaten by someone. I don't know where, though."

"What are you saying?" Akira was confused. "Are you a clairvoyant or a fortune teller?"

"Uuuhh... What was that?"

"Someone who can see into the future, in short."

"Wait, I think you're right in that one." Shulk thought real hard about what Akira just said. "If it was really an event occurring in the future..." He looked down. "...Noel would be hopeless..." He raised his head to face Akira. "...unless I do something about it, of course."

"Yeah, we gotta help our teammates in any way!"

"And even if their fate is set..." Shulk grabbed his mechanical sword, as it opened to reveal a blue ethereal sharp end coming from it. "...we'll change the future with our power. Are you certain you can help me, Akira?"

"Call me Joker for now, man. And yes, I think I can lend a hand."

 _Persona 5 Music - Tokyo Emergency_

Morgana ran towards Akira's right side, and he also showed his intent in helping them. "Hey! Don't start the party without me, guys!" Of course, being in his quadrupedal form, Shulk only heard meowing, but "Joker" decided to translate.

"How can you understand what he's saying?" Shulk was perplexed.

"I have something that you don't, that's all I can say." He didn't want to share the info about the power that he had with anyone, only being granted to real rogues like him and "Mona".

"Okay. We'll save everyone... by changing the future!"


	12. She of the Blue Flame (1st Half)

Realm of Tsukuyomi - God's Pad

The god of destruction was perched on one of his dried tree's branches, looking over the horizon of the swirling darkness of his home. A few seconds passed, and he felt someone approaching, with footsteps resounding. Riku made his presence behind Tsukuyomi.

"You are here, then," the corvid villain said. "Any important business that you may have with me?"

 _Kingdom Hearts HD II.5 ReMIX Music - Riku_

"Why do I need to do your dirty work?" Riku said defiantly. "In the end, we all know that Sora will come to take you down. I trust in him, and I know he's working hard for the final battle."

"...Abandon those thoughts, Riku. You cannot escape your destiny as a puppet. You are a simple weakling when you reject the powerful influence that your dark heart possesses, and I will use it for my goals if it helps me."

"Gloat all you want." Riku would never succumb to an ill will, as his heart, despite possessing a dark power, belonged to the light. "You'll never win, 'cause you can never eliminate one thing: salvation."

"In that case..." Tsukuyomi turned around and began flapping his wings, hovering.

 _*Music stops*_

"...I will find a way to take it away from you and your friends!" The dark god dove at high speed towards Riku, impaling his chest and pushing him back, but he vanished whithout leaving a wound, as he entered his host's heart to manipulate him once again.

Now that he assumed control of Riku's body, the diamond blue eyes were replaced by blood red ones, and the god of destruction began speaking with the boy's voice.

"Do you see now, you weakling? You are chained forever to your destiny as a pawn in my army, and you need to forget about Sora and Roxas; they won't be here to take you away from my grasp. Now, let us begin with our task..."

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - The Prelude_

 _Noel, chosen by the almighty artifact,_  
 _the Azure Grimoire,_  
 _and initially hesitant,_  
 _sets herself to pursue her Hope._

 _She would do anything to protect her closest bonds_  
 _and would find a way to ward off her cowardice_  
 _knowing her destiny._

 _However, she is too fragile,_  
 _and any misfortune that would strike her in her predestined fate_  
 _may very well spell her demise in vain if she is not careful..._

 _*Music stops*_

 **She of the Blue Flame**

Magitek Research Facility

Noel was standing behind the shiny white vortex that was the doorway that led her to the monochrome testing chamber, which was silent for the moment. Ryo was standing by her left side, being allowed by Genesis to help the girl in case something horrible ever happened.

Noel was the first one to speak. "Genesis said that she wanted you to prove your mettle, right?"

"From what I understand," Ryo said, scratching the back of his head. "She wanted me to be a good guardian, so I'll do it, but only because you asked first."

"Heheh. Yeah, let's get going."

Both began pacing around, looking for any incoming threat, but no Blank nor enemy made its presence for the time being. They walked for a few moments, seeing nothing of particular interest... but they saw someone suddenly making an appearance from above, landing on the floor in front of them.

"Ah!" Noel stepped back and took out Bolverk from the holsters that contained both guns and aimed straight to the stranger's face with a hesitant expression.

"No, wait, Noel!" Ryo stepped in front of her with arms extended to the sides, blocking her view. "Don't shoot! I think it's someone I know. Look." He turned around and pointed one finger to the interceptor, who in question was...

"Yes, it is I... the great Gilgamesh! What a surprise, seeing you here, lad!"

 _Final Fantasy Music - Clash On the Big Bridge_

Indeed, Gilgamesh made a surprise appearance in front of the two heroes, with his wide assortment of weapons stored and ready for use.

"See that guy, Noel? Mister Gilgamesh is here to put your strength to the test!" Ryo exclaimed with an excited expression, with his tail wagging to the sides.

"Um... Ryo?" Noel was dumbfounded at the sight of the blue creature's tail moving in excitement at the sight of a complete stranger. "What are you getting all pumped up for? Is he an enemy in the first place? He looks so... sketchy... or something else..." She couldn't find a better word for describing Gilgamesh's apparel. He looked so awkward to her that she couldn't think of anything better than "odd". The next thing she saw confused her more.

"Well, as for my unexpected appearance here, I think it was the Rift messing with me again." Gilgamesh explained to Ryo, the latter asking about a reason for his sudden entry. "But I am strong! Not even the Rift can stop me! And, well, what else...? Ah, yes, you want a rematch, don't you, boy?" He took a fighting stance and prepared to fight once more... but after seeing who was behind Ryo...

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - Relm's Theme_

Gilgamesh's sight was suddenly locked onto the speechless Noel, with her golden strands of hair and her emerald eyes. "Hmm?" He tilted his head to his left in curiosity. "Tell me, boy. Who is that little girl over there?"

"Huh? You mean Noel?" Ryo was now seeing that this sudden change of moods stroke him odd. "What are you trying, mister?"

"Uhh... Hello?" Noel expressed shyness in her face, evident by her hesitant approach.

"I can't help but... amaze myself at her beauty." Gilgamesh stated with a straight face.

"Excuse me?" A question mark popped out of Ryo's head. "Is this some sort of trick you're pulling on me to lower my guard? Oh no, you don't. You're not gonna get away with─"

Noel walked slowly and shyly towards the big guy, surprising her companion, motivating him to pull her back to his position.

Ryo was grabbing Noel by both sides, looking straight into her eyes. "Noel, what are you doing? Are you gonna fight him? He's pretty tough, just to warn you."

"But... He was..."

"Noel, if we're getting that Hope, you gotta move on, even if that means avoiding unnecessary fighting. Are you with me?"

While Ryo was saying those words, he seemed to enter some sort of trance, as he looked to be immobile for the time being. Through his crimson eyes, he felt something trigger in his mind simply by locking into those emerald eyes. A memory, perhaps?

 _"I'm not really scared of ghosts, you know? I actually find them fun to hang out with!"_

From Noel's perspective, simply looking through those beastly crimson eyes made something in her mind click, like a lost memory returning.

 _"Ragna..."_

Back to reality, it was as if a tender moment was being shared between the two Bearers of Hope, speechless by the feeling they had around them. Neither of them could tell clearly what was going on, for they had become temporarily blind to the world around them. A strong connection, perhaps?

 _*Music stops*_

"Wah?" Once Ryo let go, his thoughts snapped back to reality, and now he was feeling wierd. "What were we...?"

Noel felt really awkward in response to the... unique wordless exchange that the two had a few seconds ago, and she blushed.

Ryo's face also turned red from embarassment, even changing the color of his fur around his head from blue to red due to the strange feeling overwhelming him. "Let's just... concentrate, okay?"

Noel had her face covered under her hands, trying to hide her nervous breakdown, which she innevitably did. "Oh my gosh, what was that!? My heart's going to explode! Help me, please!" It took her a few more seconds to try to lessen her nervousness after uncovering her face. "Okay, okay, need to calm down for a bit... *sigh* Better."

Ryo turned around to look at Gilgamesh, even with his red face still showing.

Gilgamesh couldn't help the temptation to burst out in laughter and hold his stomach. "Hahahah, look at you, boy! Guess that girl did a good job back there. Hahah!" Once he stopped laughing, he adopted his fighting stance once more. "Well, let's begin!"

Before the fight could begin properly, however, a dark vortex opened from the floor from the right side, and coming from it was Satan, flowing green hair and blue robes flowing in the air as he made his appearance with crossed arms.

"Not so fast, pup! Remember I said I would have my rematch? This is the second round, so let's fight now!" the Prince of Darkness spread his demonic wings and openned his arms to the sides in preperation for battle. "Puyo showdown!"

Ryo looked towards Satan's position and decided a better course of action. "Noel, leave that guy to me. I hope you can handle mister Gilgamesh for me."

Noel looked doubtful, but nontheless complied, aiming her guns to the big opponent. "Right, I'll do my best."

 _Final Fantasy Music - Clash On the Big Bridge_

While the battle began with Ryo hopping forward to Satan's posotion, Gilgamesh took out a large axe and held it in both hands. "Alright, miss, let's get started!"

"Please, sir, no need to be so formal." Noel shot a pair of bullets from Bolverk, which were blocked by Gilgamesh's axe, prompting the latter to advance quickly and swing down the weapon to the small blonde, but she jumped back in time to avoid the heavy strike.

"D'oh, why does this thing have to be so heavy?" Gilgamesh mumbled to himself, and took out a large spear, thrusting it forward to Noel, almost striking in point blank, since the gunner moved to the right and shot somemore bullets to the big opponent's face, striking home for some damage. Noel jumped high above the big fighter and aimed her guns down to his head, prompting Gilgamesh to cover himslef with his hands to somehow mitigate the damage. Once the girl landed behind Gilgamesh, she tried to do a swift attack with a small shot that hit square in his back, pushing him away a few feet.

"Hoh, you have such skill!" Gilgamesh exclaimed while turning to face Noel behind him.

"It's natural for me to have these skills." Noel noted. "But I'll use them to protect the world!" After she said that, she shot once again, barely missing Gilgamesh's chest, who jumped with his spear held high, falling headfirst with the weapon pointed towards Noel's position, prompting her to roll forward to avoid the attack. She saw Gilgamesh burying his head below the ground, pushing himself up and popping his head back to the fight.

"Then why are you using those things to fight me?" Gilgamesh asked, facing Noel. "I thought we were having some friendly sparring."

"Only because you asked me to fight you, sir." Noel answered. "But I think it's time we ended this!" She jumped and placed herself above the floor a few feet near Gilgamesh and fired away a multitude of bullets in rapid succession that hit home, with the last projectile coming from her weapons morphing into a rocket launcher, releasing an explosive attack to the ground that flung the opponent away into the air, crashing to the ground in defeat.

 **DISTORTION FINISH!**

Noel's feet were once again stepping on the metallic floor, and she took a moment to put her weapons back in their holsters. She turned to her left and saw Ryo still fighting off Satan from a safe distance away from her.

 _Puyo Puyo Music - Sticker of Puyo Puyo_

Ryo was swiftly dodging burtsts of lightning bolts that were coming quickly from Satan's hands, seeing as he couldn't find a second to catch his breath, since the demonic villain was not stopping his assault. A dark purple vortex materialized from Satan's left hand, releasing a few Nuisance Puyos that flew fast to his intended target, who blocked away the attack. "Persistent as always, I see." Satan noted. "How about we spice things up a little?" He extended a hand in front of him and shot a rapid but short barrage of flaming projectiles towards Ryo, who dodged quickly in the nick of time.

"Hey! No fire, please!" Ryo spoke with an aggravated expression in his face. "It really hurts!"

"What are you trying to imply, little puppy? You don't like your tail being set in flames?" Satan tried another spell, this one being a small earthquake that created a rising rock formation from the ground below Ryo for considerable damage. "You don't like getting dirty either? Okay." Satan had a smug expression in his face.

"(Why did I have to be weak to Ground-type attacks? That's lame...)" Ryo simply fired one of his trademark blue spheres of energy towards Satan, who simply vanished from sight, avoiding the attack. "(Where did he go now?)"

"Right here." Satan whispered behind the blue Bearer of Hope, startling him and leaving an opening for the Prince of Darkness to unleash an aggressive gust of wind that hit his target's back, making him spin away and dizzying him, evident by the yellow chicks flying in circles above Ryo's head, whose eyes turned into spirals.

"That was... not cool, man..." Ryo mumbled while tumbling to the sides. He tried moving forward to throw a fist to Satan's face, but struggled and ended up tripping to the floor, having hit his head in the fall.

"Ha ha ha, what a spectacle!" Satan exclaimed while clapping in a mocking manner. "Now, let's continue." He saw Ryo standing back up on his black feet, and decided to fire some flaming projectiles from his right hand, hitting the target's chest for critical damage, pushing the blue character back. "Are you even trying to beat me? Then show me your power!"

"Whaaa...? What am I hearing? Am I seeing things...?" Ryo tried his hardest to stop the dizzyness making its toll on him, but couldn't shake it off for the time being. He tried to fire another blue sphere from his hands, although it came out as a weak and small projectile, but failed once again to score a clean hit, feeling as the demonic Bringer of Despair dissapeared once again from sight. "Did I get him?"

"Not quite, little fella." Satan whispered behind Ryo and froze his feet in place, trapping him and preventing him from moving freely. Ryo was feeling more helpless as he was suffering from the dizzyness that made him act unaccordingly, and even more so when he felt his feet being compressed and trapped in a thick layer of ice. There was a small glimmer of hope he felt when he was feeling a friendly presence approaching to his position.

"Hey, snap out of it!" Noel came to help Ryo by slapping his right cheek a bit too hard, getting rid of the dizzy state that trapped the blue Pokémon in a bind in the process.

 **Purifying Slap**

Info: This skill can be acquired by all Bearers of Hope who bonded with each other. The user removes Fear, Dizzyness, Silence/Forgetfulness, Distracted and Charmed from one ally by slapping them carefully (activates randomly and automatically).

"Huh? Oh, hey Noel! Thanks!" Ryo nodded in gratitude to his ally with a happy face.

 **Noel has strengthened her bond with Ryo a little.**

"But I have another problem." He looked down to indicate the icy prison his feet were trapped in.

"Don't worry, it'll come off at any moment. I'll take care of that guy." Noel dashed to fight Satan with Bolverk in her hands.

"You go girl!" Ryo cheered while raising his left fist into the air. "...Wait." His face turned into a desperate expression. "Don't leave me here!"

"So, the little princess has come to save her beloved pet, hm? I'm afraid I'll have to put your little fun time on hold for now." Satan extended his right hand forward and unleashed from a dark purple vortex a small barrage of Nuisance Puyos towards the blonde gunner, who blocked them with her weapons. She retaliated by summoning a golden glyph in the form of Bolverk right on the Prince of Darkness' face and aiming her left gun at point blank, firing a bullseye shot for critical damage. "Oh! How unpleasing. Well I have something for you!" He fired a violent gust of wind from his right hand that travelled quickly towards his target, but missed since she crouched to avoid the attack. "Don't worry, deary, I'm just getting started."

"Oh yeah?" Noel retorted. "Then watch this." She approached Satan and initiated a combo. "Und!" She raised her right leg and slammed it on the enemy's head. "Zwei!" She spun once, shooting one bullet mid-spin. "Drei!" She flung her gun in a boomerang motion, dealing multiple hits to the enemy. "Hah!" She thrusted her gun forward, hitting Satan in the stomach and subsequently firing a bullet that flung the demonic villain to the other side of the chamber.

"That was amazing, Noel!" Ryo exclaimed from his position, still struggling to break free from the ice that trapped his black feet.

From the other side of the room, Satan was standing up slowly with anger building up in his face. "Well, you asked for it. I present you THIS!" He raised his hands to the air and summoned a purple vortex that unleashed a rain of small Nuisance Puyos, catching Noel off-guard and hitting mercilessly in quick succession, with the final hit coming from a bigger gray Puyo that crushed the girl under its weight for considerable damage, after which, the large gray blob vanished from sight. "Haaahahahaha!" Satan was satisfied at the display that his attack showed.

"Noel!" Ryo finally broke free from the ice and ran towards the blonde gunner and crouched with an extended arm, opening his right paw to aid her. "You're okay, right?"

Noel looked up and grabbed Ryo's paw to support herself while standing back up to her feet. "I got a bit careless, that's all..."

"Oh? Two-on-one isn't right. I think I need some backup. Minions!" Satan called forth a Blank by snapping his fingers, which summoned a dark vortex from the floor behind him. From it, a Successor Replica (Noel look-alike) appeared with guns in both hands. "Only one? Okay, no matter. Go and aid me, my loyal servant. Eliminate those two idiots!" Satan extended an arm and pointed at Ryo and Noel with an index finger.

" _Acknowlegded._ " The Blank came forth to stand beside its master. " _Beginning confrontation..._ "

"Really? Last time I saw one of those it was a very easy fight. Are you expecting us to be defeated by a weakling like that robot thing?" Ryo boasted mockingly, confident enough to consider the Blank an easy opponent.

"Don't underestimate the enemy, Ryo. It might be weak, but it might have a trick." Noel warned Ryo, doubtful that he could defeat the Blank that looked just like her.

"Let's do it!" Satan exclaimed while shooting thunderbolts from his hands that were dodged by the two heroes. He then tried shooting fireballs from his right hand, aiming at Ryo, but he quickly dodged, since he knew that one of the elements he was weak against was fire, prompting him to consider avoiding enemies with such attacks.

Noel rushed towards the Successor Replica, preparing to strike with a powerful attack. Once she got near it, she saw that it tried to kick the girl away, but avoided the attack in time. "Stay back!" She morphed her weapons into a heavy machine gun, thrusting the tip forward and hitting the Blank in the chest, subsequently starting to shoot a massive barrage of big projectiles that sent the enemy upwards. As the finisher, she took out a rocket launcher and aimed it upwards to the Blank. "You're gone now!" She fired straight up, hitting it and shattering its body from existence in an explosive manner.

 **DISTORTION FINISH!**

"Told ya! Who's laughing now?" Ryo mocked Satan victoriously with a smile.

Satan was frozen in shock at what just occurred, seeing that the crystaline pieces of the fallen Blank were raining on his open right palm. After a few seconds, he crushed the pieces with a shaking fist in anger. "That was just a prototype." He turned around to face Ryo. "But you'll see what real power is like!"

"I wouldn't count on that." Ryo shook his head, feeling very confident about the situation.

"Oh, so you don't think I'll win this fight, eh?" Satan turned to face Noel. "Let's see how you handle this?" He dashed towards the girl.

Noel dodged in time a purple vortex attack from Satan's hand and tackled him with her shoulder, pushing the enemy to the floor.

"I think it's time for my last resort!" Noel exclaimed as she entered in a higher state of power.

 **EX Mode!  
Overdrive: Chain Quasar!**

Info: Accelerates the speed of Noel's attacks. Also, whenever a warrior enters EX Mode, their HP regenerates over time.  


Satan stood back up and saw something wierd in Noel. "Huh? Why are you glowing like that?"

Noel did a quick combo consisting of the following order: she raised her right leg and dropped it over Satan's head, flung her gun in a boomerang motion to deal multiple hits, spun her guns above and below to hit the enemy, spun once and shot a bullet mid-spin, dashed forward a few steps and shot one bullet from both guns aiming forward. She finished the assault by jumping low and firing away from all directions while spinning in midair and firing one last pair of shots downward, pushing the enemy down. "How was that for a fast attack?"

"Grr! Now you've done it." Satan was angrier now, and in a blind action, thrusted his fist forward, intending to hit Noel in the face. "Hrrrah!"

"Big mistake!" A crystal blue shield, in the form of a glyph, materialized in front of Noel, blocking Satan's foolish strike.

"What the...!?"

 _AO-iconoclast (Chorus)_

 **EX Burst!  
Valkyrie Veil  
**

Noel stood there, in a deep blue background, looking forward with Bolverk being crossed over her chest and under her chin. It didn't take long enough for her to initiate a series of bursting shots while looking to all directions, seeing that her bullets were flying all over the place, but they all hit the enemy somehow. "You can't escape your fate if you succumb to conformism..." The background became brighter, revealing to be a yellow vortex of light with a blue shade. Noel was on the left side, and Satan was on the right, the latter being trapped in white runes of light. "...You can only do so if you fight for a benevolent purpose." Noel had her right gun raised to the sky, while the left gun was pointing down to the floor. She moved her arms as if she closed some sort of lid, making the guns clash and triggering an explosion from the runes, defeating the enemy.

 **ASTRAL FINISH!**

Once the background returned to normal, Noel put her guns back in their holsters. One second later, she had a confused expression in her face. "Huh? Was I saying something wierd? It felt like I was doing something..."

 **NOEL... WIN!**

 _*Music stops*_

"That was really awesome, Noel! How did you do that?" Ryo approached Noel in excitement.

"Um..." The gunner got in a thinking position by putting one index finger on her chin and looking down. "I don't know, really... It's something natural." A few seconds later, something came to her mind. "Oh! That's right!" A lightbulb popped out of her head, turned on and made a "ding" sound. "If I remember correctly, it's something called seithr. It's the energy that belongs to my world, and it acts as a fuel for different ars magus, like mine. Be careful, though, using too much seithr could be bad for your body's health. As for what it does, it's simple, think of it like an energy source that gives power to a weapon. But I think I used a lot of seithr in that final attack."

Ryo understood most of the explanation, but decided to address one statement. "If you're saying you're using this seithr energy thingie, then why is it that I'm not feeling some sort of wave in this place? Did it come to you?"

Noel was confused at the random statement that Ryo gave. What if he was right, for once? "Uhh... Maybe not? Well, my weapon still has a little seithr left in it, so maybe it's still working without gathering it. But what do you mean by feeling it?"

"I can detect something they call "aura". I still don't know how it works, though. I just feel a wave that's telling me how someone feels." Ryo's ears wiggled a bit. "By the way, where's mister Gilgamesh?"

"Oh, he's... Huh?" Noel looked around, but couldn't find the big man. "He's gone..."

"Hoh, I really wanted to fight with him..." Ryo slumped down with arms dangling to the sides and fallen ears.

Back with Satan, he was dropped on the floor, barely conscious and mumbling something.

"We need... better Blanks... and more backup."

Meanwhile with the others back in town...

Academy of the Seeker - Practice Field

 _BlazBlue Music - Flos_

Terra was observing Arle practice a healing spell that the local White Mages taught. The training routine would consist in one ally, in this case being Sora, recieving a moderate amount of damage to make way for the spell to restore the lost life energy. Arle focused, and after a few seconds, she raised her right index finger to the sky and casted the spell. "Cure!"

Small green sparkles surrounded the Keyblade wielder as he felt a small sensation of relief.

It happened a few times before while the others were venturing for Noel's Hope, and Arle felt like she had now mastered the spell.

"Good, it looks like you can use it properly now." Terra said.

"Well," Arle began saying. "I realized that I don't have any healing abilities, so items are kinda like my life support when I'm about to lose in a fight."

"It's essential that a team has at least one person who can heal their teammates." Terra informed.

"You're right." Sora said while nodding. "Without one, we would be lost."

 **Arle has mastered Cure!**

Info: The most basic of healing spells, needed by all White Mages and healers alike. Restores a small amount of HP to one or all allies.  


"Let's see, what else is there to be learned for you?" Terra said in a thinking position. "Oh! Maybe we can practice our attacks while we wait for the others to come back."

"That's sounds good, I guess." Arle said. "We can hone our skills for when we need to fight the baddies!"

"Yeah, we need to be prepared." Sora said while nodding.

 _*Music stops*_

Meanwhile, in Tsukuyomi's world...

Realm of Tsukuyomi - Goro's Pad

Akechi was sitting on a regal chair in the middle of his floating territory, surrounded by piles of scattered books, which made the place look like a library of sorts. The young gentleman was straying away in his own thoughts, reflecting on his next course of action. What would he do in the meantime? He realized it was a good time to request the god for some time outside with the Bearers of Hope, thinking about confronting them personally, according to the battle's regulations.

"Yes... I believe it is now my time to take action..."

The World That Never Was

As Noel and Ryo took care of the Blanks that were surrounding the area around the buildings of the dark city, the two Bearers of Hope decided to take a small break.

"Talk about tiresome." Ryo said as he was munching on an apple. "Crushing Blanks, looking for the treasure ─ I mean, Hope ─, looking out for bad guys, you know, the usual stuff."

Noel turned to look at Ryo and approached him calmly. "Hey, can we talk a little?"

 **Heart-to-heart: Noel and Ryo  
Memories of Friends**

 _Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days Music - Mussique pour la tristesse de Xion  
_

"Hm?" Ryo's ears wiggled as if he was listening attentively. "Anything interesting?"

"Um..." Noel looked doubtful with her face hanging low. What would he say if she asked him the question she had in mind? Better do it before the time doesn't come. "Have you... uuhhh... have you ever had..." She looked back up to face Ryo. "Have you ever had a friend that you like so much before?"

"Huh?" Ryo tilted his head in confusion towards the simple question. "Why are you asking something like that?"

"Well, I just wanted to know, that's all. Heh..."

"Let me see..." Ryo delve deep in his thoughts to see if the memories he had about a certain friend remained untouched prior to waking up on that flowery meadow. "(If there were friends with me, then I should remember them. Aren't the memories that are saved in your heart unforgotten? ...I'd better do this quick.) ...I think I did before..."

"Oh, I forgot. We all got our memories stolen when we arrived to Genesis' world."

"Hey, wait!" Ryo's eyes widened when he felt something in his mind. "Something's coming up!"

"Huh!? Don't scare me like that!" Noel stepped back a little.

"I think it's something I'm starting to remember." Ryo closed his eyes in a reminiscent fashion and explained what blurry memory he had. "Someone... who was by my side all the time... who liked going on adventures with me... and I think they wanted to discover the wonders of the planet... because nothing could stop us..." A small tear strolled down from his right eye. "I wish I could remember those times much faster. Then I could tell you the whole story."

Noel liked the small explanation. "Maybe your friend is waiting for you to have some more fun." She smiled, because she also felt like she had friends that, even if the circumstances made her forget unwillingly, they were all waiting for her to go back home.

 **─Once we both remember...  
─Then let's do our best...  
** **─Well, about mine...**

"Well, about mine, I think we had the best of times together. You see, whenever we were gathered, we felt like we were living the happiest times of our lives."

Ryo smiled in response to the little statement. "Guess you were all happier together, then. Wish you could tell me more, since, you know, stolen memories..."

 **Noel has strengthened her bond with Ryo a little.**

Noel looked down with some curiosity in her expression. "Well, you know what they say about those memories: since they're the best times, you put them in your heart so that you don't forget." Noel looked back up with a straighter expression. "But I guess those were taken away very easily, too." She got in a thinking position. "Just... Who did I hang outwith before? Did I really have the best of times? Maybe I was doing something back home, like fighting to protect the world, just like what we're doing right now."

"No use worrying, girl." Ryo said while shaking his head. "Once we get those sweet memories back, you can share the whole story."

 **─What if they're worrying...  
─I want to see them...**

Noel was thinking about the friends she couldn't remember, if they were there in her mind, even. "I want to go back with them... I want to see them again and have good times just like in the past."

Ryo put his right paw over Noel's left shoulder in an affectionate gesture with a smile on his face. "You're not the only one who misses home, girl. Remember that you're never alone, even if you're away from those you love. Sora did say that his friends were connected through his heart, right? So let's just feel like they're rooting for us to win and come back to their side."

Noel had her mouth opened a little in the sense that she was quite moved by the words. She smiled, feeling reassured. "Thanks, Ryo, for those encouraging words."

 **Ryo has strengthened his bond with Noel considerably.**

 **Heart-to-heart results:** Even if the conversation was small, Noel and Ryo could find the strength that came from a friend who trusted in them.  


 _*Music stops*  
_

" _I really hate to interrupt your little exchange, but I have some work to take care of with you."  
_

"Huh?" Ryo turned to his left, since he heard a voice coming from that side. "Who's there? Another enemy?"

 _Persona 5 Music - Blood of Villain_

A dark vortex manifested from the floor in front of the two heroes, releasing from it Goro Akechi, this time dressing in a regal white uniform with a red mask, bearing a long red beak in the nose section. He also had a saber with a sharp blade made of glowing blue energy in his left hand.

"Greetings, Bearers of Hope." Akechi greeted the two. "And yes, you may very well call me one of your enemies, now that you have guessed that I belong to the opposing faction, the Bringers of Despair, which is unfortunate, considering the circumstances that make us play our part in this battle."

"What are you going to do?" Noel asked hesitantly.

"Before I answer your question, miss, my name is Goro Akechi, and I am pleased to be acquianted to you. The god of destruction himself asked me to fight you as best as I can, and I shall carry said task... if not for my personal agenda having to be ignored in favor of the battle at hand."

"Wait, what did you say, uuhhh, mister?" Ryo tilted his head a little, unsure of the correct word he wanted to use to address the young gentleman.

"Please, no need for formalities. Some call me by my name, others call me "Crow" as my codename." Akechi looked down to the floor and shared his thoughts to Ryo and Noel. "This fight is only the beginning of something bigger, something that will determine the truth of the deities' respective domains." He raised his head back to look directly into Noel's eyes. "For now, don't lose sight of your purpose, and do not allow the circumstances take their toll on you, or you will lose sight of your fragile resolve."

Another dark vortex materialized behind Akechi, and from it surged Riku, under the control of Tsukuyomi, using the boy's voice and body to communicate and move freely. He approached the gentleman. "What's with all the talking? Weren't you going to dispose of them immediately?"

"Yes, sir, on it." Akechi nodded quickly.

"Well then..." Tsukuyomi unleashed Riku's Keyblade, the Way to the Dawn, in the right hand, and positioned himself in his host's usual fighting pose. "Let us commence the onslaught."

"Be careful, Noel!" Ryo put himself in his fighting position, and so did Noel, drawing Bolverk to her hands.

 _Dissidia AC/NT Music - God In Fire (Orchestra)_

The battle began with Akechi dashing straight towards Noel and Ryo stepping in his way to block the sword that the gentleman swung. "Don't worry, Noel, I'll take care of this wierdo." Ryo said as he looked behind him to look at Noel. He then stepped forward as Akechi was backing away to properly fight. "You can take care of the other guy."

"So, it is you, Noel Vermillion." Tsukuyomi said through Riku's voice. "Terumi told us quite a lot about you. Perhaps he said something about you being his little doll? I'd like to see..."

"What're you trying, you freak!?" Noel exclaimed as she raised both guns to aim them towards the controled vessel.

While Ryo was dodging the laser projectiles that came from Akechi's toy gun (again, it worked like any other weapon thanks to the influence of Tsukuyomi's realm), Tsukuyomi kept speaking. "If he says that you are a puppet, that implies you are not free to choose your own destiny, and you will be forever trapped in the circle of death that is your true purpose."

"I'll prove you wrong if you keep saying that!" Noel's hands were trembling, but they were mustering small amounts of courage, building slowly.

"...Not much long now..." Tsukuyomi muttered to himself while looking towards the heart-moon in the night sky. "Terumi is taking quite his sweet time preparing this girl..." He looked back towards Noel and prepared himself to fight with Riku's Keyblade. "I have no time to wait for you standing idly there, so come to me if you dare try to defy your fate."

"Well, here goes nothing!" Noel summoned a golden glyph in front of the controled vessel, expecting him to move forward so that the bullet could hit cleanly, but the target dodged swiftly and kept advancing with the dark blade in his hand. The enemy swung it from above and tried hitting the gunner, but she crossed both weapons in front of her face, preventing the hit from connecting.

Meanwhile, with Ryo, he was simply dodging Akechi swinging his blue laser sword, since he was trying to find an opening for him to attack. Once they stopped a good distance afar, facing each other from both sides, Ryo began talking. "You won't leave any room for slip-ups, eh?"

"It's all part of being careful and having a tactic for any situation." Akechi answered. "But I suppose you wish to see my power, yes? Then I'll gladly show you..." He took off his mask and it disappeared in blue flames. Afterwards, from behind him, in a burst of blue flames, a spirit made its presence. "...my Persona. Come to my aid, Robin Hood!" The aforementioned individual had a helmet with a pointy red end in the front and golden wings in the back, a white face, golden shoulder pads reminiscent of the summoner's white uniform, a reversed "R" on the right side of the chest with an "H" in the left side forming the Persona's initials in yellow letters, a muscular build, a white imperial soldier uniform with a blue cape that parted into two, and was wielding a huge golden winged bow in the right hand.

Ryo was seemingly amused at the sight of the heroic-looking spirit standing behind Akechi with blue flames surroinding him. "That guy looks so cool!" He shook his head to snap back into the fight. "(Gotta focus...)"

 **One-Shot Kill**

"Fire!" Akechi commanded his Persona to aim straight towards the blue creature and, not long after, fired a quick arrow that looked like it made a drill motion, promptly making the target roll to the side to avoid the projectile that vanished once it hit the floor.

Info: A quick and devastating projectile with a high critical hit ratio.

"Talk about speedy." Ryo decided to make a quick attack of his own once he saw Robin Hood retreat back into the mask that Akechi was now wearing. He kneeled and charged his attack. "Ready, set, go!"

 **Extreme Speed**

Once Ryo finished charging, he shot himself from the ground towards the enemy and hit him multiple times from different directions before doing one final hit, launching him upwards and sliding to stop abruptly back in the floor.

Info: The user shoots themselves in a quick motion that garantees the first hit in a turn.

Akechi landed safely back to the floor and stood back up to face his target once more. "Nice demonstration of power, I must say. But how about if I show you this!" He summoned Robin Hood once more and commanded him to cast a spell.

 **Megidola**

Dark purple orbs appeared above Ryo's head, charging themselves to subsequently shoot white lasers towards the target, and hit successfully.

Info: Deals non-elemental damage to all enemies in sight.

"(Pretty big damage for an attack like that.)" Ryo thought to himself as he prepared his next attack. "(Hope he likes this!)" His hands hardened with a shining metal layer covering them, and now he was dashing towards the enemy. Once he was close enough, he planned on releasing his fists in quick motions, but saw the event of Akechi dashing behind him coming, therefore knowing when to strike. Thus he punched rapidly towards the position the enemy ended up on, successively hitting him multiple times with his meatlic fists with the last one pushing the reciever behind a good distance away.

"Amusing, if I must give an honest opinion." Akechi said once he landed back on his feet.

"Who are you, a judge?" Ryo shouted in confusion. "Why are you talking like you're observing my attacks as if we were in a contest?"

"None of your concern." Akechi answered bluntly. "Persona!" His mask burned away and he summoned Robin Hood to conjure a powerful spell.

While Akechi was charging, Ryo felt something uneasy about the gentleman clad in white. He began thinking to himself while looking down to the floor. "(What was that? I felt something... odd when I punched him. It was as if there was a shadow eating away his light... Maybe it was something he was feeling? ...Grief? I think I'm just worrying too much.)" He looked back up to see the enemy release his attack.

 **Hamaon**

From the floor below Ryo's black paws, a square glyph of light-yellow radiance shone, trapping the Lucario in a motionless state. From the same glyph, white sheets of blank pages were rising in a quick spiral motion, suddenly stopping abruptly after a few seconds. A small burst of light was all it took for the sheets to vanish, also making Ryo stand still with wide eyes and shrunken irises looking up with his jaw dropped slightly.

"Am I... going to Paradise...?" Ryo muttered before dropping unconscious to the floor with eyes closed, defeated.

 _*Music stops*_

Akechi walked towards the unconscious Bearer of Hope laying on the floor. He saw no movement, just as he expected. He won the fight, but his business was not finished. All that remained was to see Noel Vermillion taken care of so that no hindrances were present in the Bringers of Despair's paths.

Hamaon Info: A spell of Light that has a medium chance of instantly defeating the target. Chances increase if they're weak to Light.

"Terumi..." He muttered quietly. "I believe it is now the time..."

Back with Noel, she was dodging the spells that Tsukuyomi casted from Riku's hands, those being Gravity spells and balloons of light with the occassional swing that would launch a sonic wave from the Keyblade. A few moments later, a dark vortex opened from behind Noel, releasing someone from it.

 _BlazBlue Music - Premonition_

Noel looked behind and saw a girl with an overall mechanical appearance. She had sulver blue hair with a strand stcking out from the head with more messy strands covering her forehead, with the rest being tied back in a long ponytail that almost touched the floor, with a knife acting as the object that held the hair together like a lock. Her eyes were covered in a mask that had a single red glowing eye in the middle section. Her body was covered in a light blue tight rubber suit with large knives acting as armor in her forearms and legs, with light green spots glowing in small parts of her body. To top it all off, she had long blue swords floating behind her, arranged in a way that made it look like she had folded wings, except that they weren't connected to her back.

Much like the Blanks that invaded the battlefields that were chosen by both gods, she spoke in a robotic manner.

" _Activating... Activating... Activating... System activated. Remaining on standby. Awaiting commands..._ "

Tsukuyomi simply stood by the robot's left side and started speaking. "So, you're the one Terumi spoke of, yes?"

" _Terumi... Accessing database... Searching... Search complete. Results affirmative. Individual Yuuki Terumi, acknowledged to have given a request prior to arrival._ "

"Okay, so it was true." Tsukuyomi used Riku's body to nod. "I think you'll just stand there and wait for someone, right?"

" _Affirmative._ " The robotic girl was eerily still, not moving a single inch.

Noel approached the robot with doubt filled in her slow movement, intimidated by its presence. She was careful to stand a few feet away from the unit, and decided to speak. "Who... or better yet... what are you?"

The robotic girl decided to speak in her usual monotone robotic voice. " _Existence... Nu..._ "

"Nu?" Noel had a puzzled look in her expression. "Why does it feel familiar?" Her eyes suddenly turned blue once she locked her vision right into the singular red light of the mask. She lowered her head to the floor and started speaking like Nu.

"System activation complete. Target identified as a Murakumo unit."

" _Affirmative._ " Nu began speaking in turn. " _You and I stem from the same origins. We were created to serve a purpose: we must always follow direct commands from our master._ "

"Murakumo... What is my task? ...Target identified as an anomaly in existence."

" _Scanning... Scan results identify the subject Mu-12 as a potential threat. Engaging combat mode._ "

They both spoke at the same time. " _Commencing defensive combat protocol. Beginning disposal of all threats in sight._ "

Tsukuyomi spoke with Riku's voice afterwards. "Yeah, go on and dispose of each other. You're better off gone."

Noel had a blank expression in her face while she drew Bolverk into her hands, ready to confront Nu.

 _BlazBlue Calamity Trigger Music - Awakening the Chaos_

The battle began with Noel summoning a small golden glyph in the shape of Bolverk over Nu's face, shooting a bullet there but just missing as the enemy dodged. Nu retaliated by swinging her arms downward with the swords motioning the same way, slashing Noel multiple times, following up by commanding them to shoot themselves forward in a projectile manner that hit the target in the chest and then pushing her away by summoning a dark red disc from the floor that circled forward and slashed the gunner. Nu summoned a dark red vortex in front of her to unleash a finishing move. " _Creating rupture in space-time continnum._ "

 **Legacy Edge**

From the vortex, an immesurable amount of big knives shot out and trapped Noel in midair, stabbing her in many parts of her frail body.

Info: Summons a storm of blades that deals multiple hits.

Once Noel landed back on the floor, she aimed her guns at Nu, with the evident intent of attacking her, but...

"Target must cease functions immediately. Taking preventive measu─ Huh?"

Noel's eyes returned to their normal emerald color, regaining her emotions in the process.

"What am I doing? Why do I feel like I'm moving on my own?" Noel's confused face did not regard her involuntary actions, as her fingers simply pulled the trigger in the guns and shot a bullet towards Nu's face, but the target blocked with one of her arms. "Huh!? I didn't want to do that!"

Tsukuyomi, through Riku's eyes, observed the fight from a safe distance. "Good..." He muttered quietly, looking satisfied at the display. "Prove to me that you are only a puppet of fate."

"No!" Even if she tried her hardest to regain control of her body, Noel couldn't stop herself from rolling forward and shooting bullets from below, aiming her weapons at Nu's feet, starting a combo. "I don't want to hurt anybody!" She spun her gun in a boomerang motion that hit multiple times. "Why am I doing this!?" She raised her leg and dropped her foot to kick Nu in the face. "Someone! Stop this!" She spun her guns, moving them downwards to hit the target. "Can it really be helped!?" Her face expressed clear hesitation and helplessness, as she found herself unable to stop her body from releasing a powerful finisher.

 **Zero-Gun: Fenrir**

Her guns morphed into a heavy machine gun, which she thrusted forward to hit with the weapon's tip at Nu's stomach and subsequently starting to shoot bullets in rapid successionwith each hit making the target rise slowly to the air above. She then morphed her weapon into a rocket launcher and aimed diagonaly upwards.

 **Nemesis Stabilizer**

"This madness has to stop!" Noel felt helpless against the mysterious force controlling her fingers, which were moving by themselves and pulled the trigger and fired the projectile towards the target and pushed her to the sky, and then she fell down quickly to the ground.

Info: Zero-Gun: Fenrir deals multiple hits trough a barrage of projectiles. Nemesis Stabilizer only occurs if the machine gun's tip hits in the beginning of the attack.

" _Damage levels are rising._ " Nu stood back up. " _Preventive measures must be taken in regards to target._ "

The robot proceded to summon red blades that appeared in all directions and thrusted themselves towards Noel, slashing her ruthlessly and not showing any sign of stopping. But they suddenly stopped appearing, which showed when Nu was staring eerily again and muttering something.

" _Anomaly detected in target. Scanning... Scanning... Scan results show the target missing vital data. Archives of past actions cannot be found._ "

 _*Music stops*_

Noel looked quite puzzled while kneeling on the floor, clearly hurt everwhere, not seeming to move after the exhaustion of recieving multiple strikes. "Wait, you mean to say... Are you talking about my memories? How did you know I lost them?"

" _A faint anomaly is present within the target's database. Analyzing... The anomaly in question regards certain individuals connected to this unit. Among them is... a certain "Ragna the Bloodedge"..._ " What really creeped Noel out was that she saw Nu smile happily, and she also heard a higher pitch in the robot's tone once she spoke again.

" _Ragna... What happened to Ragna? I can... feel him... And I feel a little wierd. Did something happen to me?_ "

 _BlazBlue Music - Pinky Promise_

"Hey." Noel felt that she regained control of her body and decided to stand up and approach Nu slowly until she was standing in front of her. "Are you feeling okay?"

" _Wait..._ " Nu was becoming more expressive once she detected something in Noel's blurry memories. She could feel familiar presences, even if she was built to fight and become a weapon of destruction. But she couldn't help being curious at the current situation. " _Do I know you?_ "

"I don't think we've met before."

" _Oh, now I know! Aren't you the gal who's always with Ragna the whole time? Don't look at me like that! It's me, your sister, or whatever you called me! Don't you remember Lambda or whatever she was called?_ "

"Whoa, slow down!" Noel stepped back in shock. "Do you even know me!? And my name is Noel Vermillion, by the way. Wait, did you call me your sister? We don't even look that similar."

" _Don't you remember Nu? Nu is so sad that you don't remember. Do you know where Ragna is, though? Nu wants to see him again!_ " Nu had a cheerful smile that expressed her hopes for seeing this "Ragna" fellow.

"Who again?" Noel grasped her head with her left hand. "Sorry, but my memory is really hazy right now. I can't help."

 _*Music stops*_

" _Nu is sad... Will Ragna come back to Nu?_ " Under the mask, Nu's eyes expressed sorrow and disappointment. A few seconds later, the robotic child was trembling in anger, which was growing with every passing second. " _Ragna! I want Ragna back! Nu wants Ragna so baaaaad!_ " Nu's battle protocols initiated in a fit of anger, and Noel prepard for battle once more.

"Please, calm down! I hope I can help in any way possible!"

 _BlazBlue Chronophantasma Music - Awakening the Chaos II_

Nu began the fight by swinging her arms down, commanding her sword "wings" to do the same motion, prompting Noel to block with her guns crossed over her face. The robot spun around, commanding the swords to sweep the ground and make the gunner trip, which was followed by Nu moving her blades in an upwards motion, slashing the Bearer of Hope up into the air. She then summoned a dark red disc that spun across the ground and pushed Noel back a few feet away. The ground below the blonde girl was being distorted in a circular radius and she found the force of gravity weighing her down.

 **Gravity Seed  
** Info: The reciever of the move gets their speed reduced dramatically while they're stepping on the distorted radius.

" _Nu wants Ragan real bad! Ragna, where are you!?_ " Through Nu's crying, she was able to summon forth a multitude of blades that appeared from all directions that Noel found herself incapable of avoiding, as she was trapped in a tight situation.

Even so, Noel was capable of excaliming something through the multiple stabs she recieved. "Why are you getting stuck in a fit!? And who is this Ragna you wanna see!?"

Those words only worsened the current situation.

" _You don't remember Ragna either? That makes Nu even sadder!_ "

 **Legacy Edge**

Nu opened a dark red vortex that deployed a multitude of swords that soared forward and managed to stab the helpless Noel.

"No, please! STOP IT ALREADY!"

Meanwhile...

Realm of Tsukuyomi - Terumi's Pad

Yuuki Terumi was observing the fight unfold with a sadistic satisfaction expressed in his face with a smile.

"Oh ho, yes! Go, my girl! Don't stop now, for the both of you will soon see what lies ahead... that being... her absolute end! ...But once the time is right, I can finally torment her as I please, which, being part of my little scheme, it'll be perfect! Just you wait, Tsukuyomi, because you will surrender all to the wrath of the Azure Grimoire's ultimate power... of true DESPAIR! _**YEEEEHAHAAAAH!**_ "

Back with Noel and Nu...

The World That Never Was

With each stab Noel recieved from the storm of blades, the gunner felt hopeless against the current situation she was being put in. She felt trapped, with no way to avoid the attack. Her dying breath let some words escape her mouth.

"So... this is the end... I should have known from the beginning... that I was weak... I couldn't find my Hope... I couldn't regain my memories... I... failed Genesis... I'll be waiting for everyone... in the afterlife... See you soon..."

Just when her parting words finished, a sword zoomed in front of Noel's face and, as soon as it made contact with her... everything went black...

 _Persona 3 Music - The Path Was Closed_

 _Those who choose a different path to defy their fate run an immense risk;  
their lives are at stake by taking this decision._

 _By catiously walking this path,  
knowing full well the dangers that await,  
only then can they survive and rewrite their history to their advantage..._

 _Alas, this warrior has incorrectly strayed from the path chosen,  
paying with the price that is the flame of their life...  
You shall be missed, oh foolish rebel..._

Nu: " _Oh no! She's broken! Nu is so lonely and sad..._ "

 **Game Over - Bad End**

* * *

And now, as an apology from the for taking so long once again in uploading this chapter, we present you our trusty guide segment!

 **Help Me! Professor Kokonoe**

*A theater curtain rises, and shortly thereafter, a spotlight turns on, revealing a chibi figure of a woman with pink long hair, feline ears and tail, yellow eyes under a pair of round glasses, wearing a lab coat with feline paws at the end of both sleeves, red leather pants and slippers. With a happy expression, albeit forced, she greets the audience.*

 _BlazBlue Music - Comedy_

"Greetings, lost children.  
"I am Professor Kokonoe, genius scientist and ruler of the Sector Seven laboratory. ...Well, OK, we aren't in the lab at the moment. This place can sort of be temporarily moved into the Boundary.  
*while feigning a bothered expression and moving to the right* "Well, simply put, it's a mysterious room. A room where you can do anything you want.  
*normal expression* "To be honest, it's a paradise for all those sad, little lost children who couldn't make it to the true ending. A sort of Avalon.  
*bothered expression, moving to the left, mockingly* "If you're one of those nutbars who's all "I don't need help" or "I only want to unlock hidden stuff" or "I'll just look for a flowchart online", then you can PISS OFF.  
*normal expression* "...  
"Very well. Lost child of the day... you may enter."

 _*Music stops*_

*Kokonoe leaves the scenery into the left side of the screen. A chibi figure of Noel enters the stage from the right and stops at the center. The scenery becomes bright with a pink wallpaper with sparkles covering the place behind her as soft jazz plays in the background, with a voice that sounds like a baby saying something like "Noeru poemu". Noel begins reciting an improvised poem of her creation.*

"I've been taken somewhere without light... The only thing that gives me hope... is that someday my prince will come... In Spain, they'd say, "El delfín está en el Jacuzzi."  
"Oh what will my knight in shining armor look like? Will they be wearing a hat? Will they shine like the sun? No... that's not right.  
"Mr. Flower? Mr. Flower, do you know what my prince will look like? You wouldn't know, would you... Eheheh.  
"Mr. Flower, you smell so good. I can always count on you to raise my spirits. In fact, I feel I can trust you, so let me tell you what my prince will look like! But you have to promise not to tell anyone else, OK?  
"The one who will save me... He will arrive astride a mighty white stallion... and his beauty will rival that of nature itself! Eheheh."

*The pink sparkling background fade with the music, revealing the actual background. A lab with a messy work desk in the left area and a testing vial filled with liquid in the right, drawn in a cartoony artstyle. Kokonoe enters the scene from the left with an aggravated expression.*

 _BlazBlue Music - Flos_

Kokonoe: Uh... no.

Noel: *exclamation mark pops out of her head; looks around frantically; after a few seconds, shocked expression with swirls for eyes* "Huh!? Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhh?! Where am I!? I was just thinking about what my next poem should be about... and I end up here! Why am I here...? What's going on?!"

Kokonoe: *aggravated expression, moving a hand in front* "Well, we can be confused together."

Noel: *crying cartoony waterfalls from her eyes*

Kokonoe: *whispering* "Why do I feel some kind of deja vu's at work...? Never mind that..." *speaking clearly* "You're here because of the author's dumb decision that bad ends were the perfect excuse to put this segment in the story."

Noel: *still crying* "...Bad ending? What's that?"

Kokonoe: "It's part of the whole multi-ending thing."

Noel: *still crying* "Ohhh... the bad ending... Maybe I SHOULD just disappear."

Kokonoe: *forced happy expression* "You shouldn't do that. I really worry about you, you know."

Noel: *surprised expression, with shrunken eyes and open mouth* "What? Really?"

Kokonoe: *aggravated expression, with an animated doodle expressing annoyance above her head* "I mean, you're a pretty important character. I guess you're kind of the heroine? Anyway, if you slack off even a little bit, you'll die like THAT!"

Noel: *downcast expression* "Th-That's just mean."

Kokonoe: "Hey, I don't write the rules, kid. To be honset, I'm pretty surprised you got this far. I mean, mathematically, it's pretty much impossible."

Noel: *crying cartoony waterfalls from her eyes* "Y-You don't need to go that far... Then... then what are my chances of me surviving?"

Kokonoe: Mmmm... impossible.

Noel: *eyelids forced shut in shock* "WHAT?!"

Kokonoe: "Of course, if I tell you that, then what's the point of this counseling room? Hmmm. You know how someone tried really hard to save you?"

Noel: *sighing, regaining her composure* "The person... who tried to... save me?"

Kokonoe: "Uh, yeah... You know. Ears, tail, messy fur. I don't know how he does it, but he walks around on his hind legs... Come on, goddammit, don't make me spell it out for you!"

Noel: *smiling* "Oh! You must be talking about Ryo! (And yes, I think I like the little touch in the messy hair with those strands sticking out.)"

Kokonoe: "Yes. Him.  
"Well, it really chafes my ass to say it, but the spiecies he's been turned into is so popular that the fans talking about how awesome they look has even reached my sensitive ears. I hate how it all sounds, but...  
"Anyway, as long as you keep him alive ─remember to use that Phoenix Down or whatever it's called on him─, you'll be safe from dying. I pretty much hate him a bit, but...  
"If you see him dropped dead on the floor, find a way to revive him quick before you die next, all right? He kinda pisses me off with how he got to be a popular character in his home world (not the one in this story, but the main guy from his home game)."

Noel: *skeptical* "Um... so basically you mean...?"

Kokonoe: *aggravated* "You haven't heard shit about what I said earlier, have you?"

Noel: *nervous* "Th-That's not true! I was listening! So, basically... I mean... to sum it up... You really really don't like Ryo much... right?"

Kokonoe: "Is that your final answer?"

Noel: *sweatdropping* "Y-Yes. It's my final... ANSWER!"

Kokonoe: *raising her voice and arm in impatient fury* "WRONG! Are you an idiot!?"

Noel: *nervously sweating* "But... but...! You said the same thing twice! That means it had to be something important!"

Kokonoe: *aggravated* "Whatever. Let's just move on, shall we. All I'm trying to say is that you really need to take better care of your teammates.  
"You're the kind of character that just dies immediately if she takes the wrong path. So pay close attention to the people who are fighting with you and choose the safest combat tactic."

Noel: "O-OK..."

Kokonoe: *satisfied expression* "All right, if you understand, then get the hell out of here. You've got a strong Drive attack; people can't beat you just by mashing buttons.  
"If that doesn't work for you, just fill your super meter ASAP. I THINK you can use that cool Astral of yours to snatch victory away with its counter properties."

Noel: *saluting with a smile* "Oh... OK! Thank you... uh... um..."

Kokonoe: *question mark appears above her head, bouncing* "Huh? You're still here? What's up?"

Noel: "Uh... um... I mean... Professor Kokonoe, I... I... I think I... like you."

Kokonoe: *aggravated* "Uh... thanks, but I'm not interested."

Noel: *N-NO! I didn't mean it in that way...!  
"Sometimes, when I see the others, like Terra or Genesis, I feel like I'm... not a match for them..."

Kokonoe: *question mark pops out of her head* "...What?"

Noel: *sparkling eyes, covering her mouth with both hands* "But now that I'm seeing you, I feel like I belong! It's like we're comrades-in-arms or something... It's... umm... I feel like we share a special bond..."

*To drive the point home, an arrow is pointing towards Kokonoe's chest... specifically over her... ahem... bosom.*

Kokonoe: *aggravated* "...  
"GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!"

*Kokonoe pushes Noel with such force that she is sent flying out of the lab.*

Noel: "KYAAAAH!"

Kokonoe: *heavily sighs, aggravated as always* "So she's supposed to be the heroine of BlazBlue, huh? I guess times have changed..."

*The curtain lowers to the ground, indicating the end of the segment.*

Kokonoe: "Also, congrats, author! You have broken your record to at least ten thousand words in a single chapter!  
"Oh, and, please don't make any more mistakes in your story development if you don't wanna see this segment again."


	13. She of the Blue Flame (2nd Half)

The World That Never Was

Noel was dodging the attacks that Tsukuyomi released through Riku's body, with Gravity spells, colorful balloons that were homing projectiles, and the occassional swing of the Keyblade in hand. The gunner noticed something when she turned her face to the right; Ryo was dropped unconscious on the floor.

"Oh no. Ryo!" Noel called and ran to him, kneeling over to see his immobile state. She noticed a bag strapped around the human-turned-Lucario's upper body and decided to search inside. What she found in there were the items bought from the shop back in town, those being the different healing items, as well as the bright red feather. Its light interested Noel enough for her to grab it and observe it intently. "Just... what is this supposed to be?"

Not long after she said that, the Phoenix Down emitted a dim light, causing Noel to get startled and accidentally drop the item, gently falling towards Ryo's chest. Once it touched the human-turned-Pokémon's furry chest, the light flashed in one instant, casting a revival effect on the individual... Well, it was not evident until he opened his eyes a few seconds later.

"(Ugh... What was all that nagging...? That's gonna stick for a while... I... think I heard it before... Nah, must be overthinking things.)"

(What Ryo was refering to in his thoughts, by the way, was a hazy memory. Familiar nagging? That will be for later.)

Ryo stood back up with some life restored to him, but he was back in fighting condition. He felt that he had to restore his lost energy with something from his bag, and he browsed the repertoire of items until he found a medium-sized light-blue berry. "What's this Oran Berry doing in here? Must've grabbed a lot of them when I was preparing for something."

As Ryo was mumbling indifferently, he grabbed the berry and began munching, feeling the healing effects after consuming it in his mouth.

Info about the item: Restores a considerable amount of HP to the consumer.

After finishing his little snack, Ryo pumped himself up to fight once more. "Okay, I'm back in action!"

Well, he didn't resume his fight against the Bringer of Despair clad in white in an instant; he first looked at Noel, and briefly said something to her.

"Oh, hey, Noel. It was you who woke me up, right? Thanks for the help! Now let's beat these baddies up together!"

And with that, he was off, engaging in combat with Akechi once more. As for Noel, once she turned around, she saw someone intruding in the two-on-two combat that the heroes and villains were having. It was Nu, who appeared in the last chapter before Kokonoe gave the author advice involving the correct way to make a story.

"System activated. Target acquired. Scanning... Target identified as the 12th Prime Field Device. Anomaly detected in target. Commencing battle protocols." Nu said all those words in her monotone robotic voice before preparing for battle. Noel felt as if she needed to fight the robotic girl, and decided to take her out first.

Ryo blocked Akechi's sword with the spikes protruding from the back of his hands, and he had time to look at Noel's position, noticing the presence of the robot afterwards. "Hey!" He called out on Akechi, addressing one fact that began to bother him: "Who brought this thing here? This isn't supposed to be a two-versus-three fight! I call shenanigans! You guys aren't fighting fair!"

"Who said that we could not bring outside assistance? Terumi, I suppose, did us a favor and decided to pit this machine against the girl you are siding with right now. We can assume that he is running a test on her?" Akechi said. "Yes, that should be the case."  
"Argh." Ryo desperately wanted to dispose of Nu quickly to balance things out, but he was busy with Akechi. "Where is the cavalry when you need them?!"

Perhaps he did not notice at first, but his thoughts were reminiscent of a certain acquaintance he met not long after arriving at Genesis' world... Thus, we take the liberty to say something like this: "Cue a familiar chirp echoing in the distance!"

"Kweh!"

"Huh?" Ryo had a perplexed expression in his face. He looked towards an alleyway that was present in the streets of the dark city they were fighting in, and he saw... "Boko!? What are you donig here?!"

The Chocobo ran to Ryo's side, ready to fight the enemies that stood in their way.

"Kweh! Kweh!"

"So you're saying that you heard me and ran headfirst into a white portal? well, good timing pal!" Ryo exclaimed before turning his gaze towards Akechi. "Now we're fighting fair! It's three against three, so let's get going!"

Meanwhile...

Realm of Genesis - Goddess' Pad

Genesis was aware of the confrontation that the Bearers of Hope were having at the city lit by the heart-moon, and decided to pass an informative message to Ryo.

"This must be... the "Companion's Call"... It would seem that this is one of the few instances in which I have seen it. An ally in the faction of light, calling upon a friend so that they may aid them in battle. It would seem that this assistance will be temporal, for they may only help once before returning. For this occassion, the assistance will last for the entire battle, so you may take advantage of it in any way you can. Go forth and fight with your companion, dear child."

Back with Noel, Ryo and Boko...

The World That Never Was

 _Persona 5 Music - Keeper of Lust_

"Can you dodge this?" Noel shoved her shoulder to bash against Nu, sending her flying towards Tsukuyomi's vessel, Riku, scoring "two birds in one stone", as they say.

"Hah! Bullseye!" Ryo shot one of his trademark spheres of blue energy towards Akechi, and the projectile hit quickly and accurately on the enemy's chest, pushing him back. "Hey, buddy, it's your turn! Watcha got?"

Boko decided to follow up the previous attack with one of his own; he ran towards Akechi and swung with such force his right leg, performing a strong kick that pushed the reciever back a few more feet.

 **Choco-Kick  
** Info: The attacker performs a strong kick that deals considerable damage to a single enemy. (Exclusive for Chocobo heroes only)

"Is that all you have? I expected more." Akechi taunted and casted a spell by using his Persona, Robin Hood, commanding him to release pillars of light that both Ryo and Boko swiftly dodged.

 **Makougaon  
** Info: Casts a Light spell on all enemies in sight.

"Sir, you need to do better than that. Here we go!" Ryo dashed with the speed that his legs could hold and, once he got close enough, unleashed a powerful attack on the white Bringer of Despair.

 **Close Combat**

Ryo's fists became blindingly fast as they engaged in a rapid succession of punches as fast as bullets, with the final strike making Akechi flinch and stand still for a moment.

Info: Unleashes a devastating series of punches that deal massive physical damage to one foe. Reduces the attacker's Physical and Magic Defense as a countermeasure.

"Impressive... But I can still show you my power." Akechi stood his ground as best as he could, continuing to engage in combat with the two heroes.

As for Noel, she was faring quite good on her own, but she thought that fighting two enemies at once by herself was too much to bear, so she called for aid. "I'm not doing too wel here! Can someone help?"

At the call, Boko came up to the gunner and casted a healing spell on her, which was unusual in the eyes of someone like Noel. She felt relieved, regardless.

 **Choco-Cure  
** Info: Restores a moderate amount of HP to one or all allies on the field. (Exclusive for Chocobo heroes only)

"Ahh, thanks. Say, how can you do that? I thought animals and others like you couldn't use Ars Magus like that." Noel looked skeptical. She never saw a creature like a bird, of all living things, to use magic like they were good at it.

"Kweh!"

"He says that he just learned to do that one day!" Ryo exclaimed from a distance while blocking Akechi's laser beams that were coming from his toy gun.

Back in the fight, Tsukuyomi, with Riku's body, decided to cast an attack that he didn't use for a while.

 **Dark Break**

"Your efforts are worthless in this fight." Riku's body moved on Tsukuyomi's command and leapt into the air above Noel. He swung his dark sword while descending abruptly, hitting the target and subsequentially bouncing back up; this was done three more times before the fifth and final slash hit and made the attacker land back to the ground, pushing the gunner away.

Info: Hits five times, dealing Dark damage.

"Hey! Don't hurt her like that!" Ryo felt his anger build up slowly within him, although he tried to supress it. Tsukuyomi was about to learn why hitting a girl in front of the human-turned-Lucario came with unpleasant consequences. "I'll show you not to mess with us!" And with that said, he ran towards his new target. Akechi did not mind, though, for he felt relieved that he could catch a few spare seconds to think about something.

" _Target acquired. Power levels of target detected to rise at a gradual pace. Commencing catious combat protocols..._ " Nu locked her sights towards her new target, seeing that Ryo was nearing her area indirectly.

"Yeah, go on." Tsukuyomi muttered. "You'll just open yourself for a surprise."

Ryo launched himself forward and began his attack by striking his enemy's upper body with a hardened iron fist, then slashed away with an extended claw, and finished by firing his trademark sphere of blue energy, pushing the possessed enemy into one of the buildings' outer wall. With his little act of retribution finished, the heroic character stood still for a moment to catch his breath. "Phew, much better." He simply could not help feeling relieved after beating an enemy that harmed a girl in any way. He did not expect, though, the attacks from behind...

 **Calamity Sword**

" _Release._ " Nu summoned from above her a big wide sword that pushed Ryo to the floor, his face looking towards the floor.

Info: Releases a huge sword that deals great damage to one target.

"Huh? Ryo! You there, you can't just do that to him!" Noel rushed towards Nu in an attempt to strike back, but someone else had a trick up on his sleeve.

Akechi decided to execute a pragmatic tactic: use a Dark spell on the gunner while she did not notice, befitting of his true colors. "I cannot allow you, sadly..."

 **Eigaon**

A wave of darkness aproached Noel quickly from the floor and, as soon as it touched her, sprung up into a dark pillar with a sinister smirking face that launched her from the floor in pain a decent distance away.

Info: Deals massive Dark damage to one target.

Noel regained her composure and struggled a bit to keep herself standing straight once she landed back on the floor. She brandished Bolverk from her holsters and aimed them at Nu with all the strength she could muster. "Just who or what are you for doing that to him?!"

Nu simply raised her right hand and summoned a series of swords that went in a wave motion from the floor and chased Noel, who promptly dodged the attack, before the robot answered her target's question...

" _I am... you... You are... me... We are one and the same..._ "

Those words did not sound like they were being phrased properly, so that confused Noel a bit. She had to ask another question while shooting a bullet to a glyph she summoned on her target's face. "I don't understand... What do you mean we're the same person?"

Nu summoned a rolling scythe from the floor, which her target jumped over, before answering again. " _We come from the same place... You are No. 12... I am another unit... Existence, Nu._ "

Both were unaware that Ryo was listening clearly from a distance away from both girls while getting back up. "(Huh? Did that thing say something about Noel being number 12 in something?)"

"But we don't even look alike!" Noel shot a flurry of bullets from all angles above her enemy's head, hitting perfectly and finishing with one last shot downwards that pushed the robotic girl to the ground.

" _The only feature that we share... is that we were made from the same base. Remember._ " Nu summoned a storm of swords that zoomed from all angles towards the gunner, who blocked the projectiles away with her weapons.

Ryo saw that Akechi, from afar, was preparing to shoot down the blond girl with his Persona, so he did what came naturally to him and proceeded to zoom in to attack the white Bringer of Despair.

 **Extreme Speed**

"Not on my watch, you idiot!" Ryo exclaimed with adrenaline accumulating in him, hitting the enemy from all sides with blinding speed, with the last punch sending him flying to the large building iluminated in green in the middle of the background, hitting his back painfully on the glass.

"Such power... I believe... it can be put to good use for our benefit..." Akechi said to himself in a strained voice as he slid back to the ground. He then looked at the blue canine fighter in front of him, pointing at him with right index finger as if he was accusing him. "Mark my words, Bearers of Hope, we shall have another encounter very soon. I will be expecting you to be prepared for the worst." With his warning spouted, he sank into the dark vortex below him, returning to his headquarters.

"(Sweet heavens, he's finally gone. Now I just have to deal with that other guy.)" Ryo looked at where Tsukuyomi's vessel, Riku, was and then saw that he was fighting Boko in an attempt to fend the Chocobo away from the battlefield. "Hey, Boko! Don't leave the fun for yourself, 'cause I'm here to help!" The human-turned-Lucario rushed towards the kerfuffle the aforementioned individuals were having and decided to help his feathery yellow friend with his fists.

As for Noel, she was finding it hard to understand all the blabbering Nu was doing, since she thought that everything she heard was an attempt to throw her concentration off the window. So, as a last resort, she decided to end it all with a good barrage of special bullets.

 **Bullet Rain - Zero-Gun: Thor**

Noel jumped and placed herself in a good angle above her target and began shooting a rain of projectiles diagonally downwards, hitting the robotic girl and stunning her inplace, just enough for the gunslinger to pull out a rocket launcher and fire it off. "Time for you to go to bed!"

Some seconds earlier, Boko was also about to finish the quarrel he was having against Riku by summoning his most powerful attack yet.

 **Choco-Meteor**

The yellow bird raised his head and "kweh'd" out to the sky, calling forth a spell that only he could perform out of the current party. Ryo's jaw opened in shock, showing his fangs, with his eyes widening and pupils dilating into small dots. "Take cover!" He promptly ran away from the area that would be affected by the meteor, Boko following behind, and from a safe distance, both saw how the enemies fell defeated by two explosions taking place; one explosion came from Noel rocket projectile, and the other came from the meteor that impacted on Riku.

 **DISTORTION FINISH!**

Noel put Bolverk back in her holsters and moved a hand through her blond hair, striking a victory pose. "I won... Good, now we can move on."

 **Noel... WIN!**

 _*Music stops*  
_

"Bravo! Magnificent job, the lot of you!" They could hear a familiar voice echoing from somewhere. Ryo recognized the voice that belonged to Yuuki Terumi. "Now, I wonder if you can stand a chance against me, now that you look strong enough. Either way, I'll make sure to pummel you, little excuses of warriors. Hee hee."

As the voice faded away, a white vortex appeared, which was their cue to keep on moving. Boko could not come, though, as his time as the cavalry was up and he had to part ways, waving a wing to them as if he was saying "Goodbye for now."

Now, it was Noel's trial, and failure was not an option, for she needed to obtain her Hope.

Altar

Once they both stepped out of the white portal, they saw that they were at the familiar blue platform scraping the yellow cloudy sky. Something was different in the background, though, as they noticed the rectangular object was glowing a light shade of blue from the corners of its shape, with red circles ascending from the bottom and surrounding it, and there was a strange shape, reminiscent of a large pointy crest.

Nobody noticed Shulk, Akira and Morgana (cartoon form) hiding from somewhere. They made it in time, thankfully, and they were looking forward to a brighter future, deciding that it needed to be changed by their will after the wielder of the Monado had a vision.

"Greetings, worthless insects!" Terumi's voice echoed throughout the whole place. He then made his appearance by rising from a black portal from the floor in fron of Noel and Ryo. "Well, I gotta say, well done for making it this far. Lemme guess, you want your little treasure, eh? Come and get it. I'm right here, waiting to be beaten to a bloody mess!"

"Hey, you freak!" Ryo called out. "Did you really send that wierd robot against Noel? What were you trying?"

"Oh, just running a few tests here and there, seeing if the counterpart was functional. After what happened to the original, I doubt she could be of any use today, so I picked one from an alternate continuity." Terumi smirked with his usual malevolent glare. "Have you heard about the multiverse theory? It's at the same time nuts and really fun!"

"Alternate? What?" Ryo was quite inexperienced when it came to other worlds, but he had no knowledge about universes, so he was at a blank.

"Oh, I forgot you were a dog, so you wouldn't understand a simple thing like alternate continuitites. Shit as always, I see." Terumi bore a sarcastic happy look in his face when he looked at Noel. "Anyway ─ hello there, Noel... or should I say... No. 12."

"Huh? What did you call me?" Noel was more confused than when she was hearing Nu spout a lot of nonsense.

"Hrrr, I'm getting tired of waiting for the showdown to begin, so let's just skip to the fun part already!" Terumi prepared himself for battle, prompting Noel to brandish her trademark guns.

From the back ground, Shulk feared the worst thing that could happen. Morgana decided to intervene by saying something. "Hey, Shulk, is this the part where you told us Noel was gonna lose? Because I'm pretty sure that guy won't hold back."

"You might be right on that one, Mona." Akira examined Terumi before jumping into the fray. "So, we're ready, right?"

"Yeah." Shulk held a tight grip on his sword's hilt. "Let's do this."

Before anyone could move from their hiding spots, though, they felt a chilling glare eyeing them all as if the watcher knew they were there. They saw in shock that Terumi was indeed looking at them menacingly as if he knew what they were up to. His voice uttered something in a hushed manner.

"...Did you really think you could fight the future? You guys really need to learn not to be distracted by some bullshit like changing fate or some stupid fairy tale."

"How did he...?" Shulk could not help but feel devastated when he saw what could be avoidable happen. "No, I can't believe this..."

 _Dissidia Music - End of Speculation_

 **The Wheel Of Fate Is Turning  
Rebel 1... ACTION!  
**

Terumi opted to start the fight by jumping forward and move his right arm in a quick downwards motion to catch Noel off-guard, making her stagger and opening herself for a string of successive attacks that came so quickly it did not give her time to catch her breath. The hooded Bringer of Despair brandished his custom daggers and swung them rapidly while they were engulfed by a dark green aura, drainig the victim's force power; then he proceeded to stomp her head to the floor repeatedly, kick her to the other side, lunge forward to swing a dagger down to make his victim bounce off the floor, and raise his leg to kick the helpless girl back to the floor. "Now you see where your ambitions end up? Just look at you making dumbasses out of yourselves. You guys have no hope in changing the normal flow of things. I could see it from a mile away simply because I've been looking at you from the sidelines."

"Who are you talking to, you crazy madman?" Ryo shouted in desperation.

"You heard him, boys! Come on out!" When Terumi gave the order, Shulk, Akira and Morgana came out from behind the rectangular monolith and stepped closer.

"Uh...? Shulk?" Noel was abruptly silenced by a stomp from Terumi's right foot.

"How does it feel to be puppets of destiny? Please, don't tell me it doesn't make you fall into a depressive state 'cause everyone feels like shit when they realize they're not free. That they're just playing a role in a great play in a theater or something." Terumi simply kept smirking in satisfaction, feeling that he was getting on the nerves of everyone present.

"What are you saying, you maniac?" Morgana felt a small twitch in him that begged him to slap the hooded villain.

"Don't take us for idiots. We're very much capable of handling things ourselves." Akira wanted to see that serpentine mouth shut for once without showing a smug look.

"It's our destiny, so you don't have anything to do with it." Shulk fought the urge to give the homicidal psycho a piece of his mind. "You have no say in this."

Terumi had an idea. A perfect idea that would send everyon to the edge of madness if he did everything the way he planned it out. "Just watch. You're gonna have fun listening to this huge telltale I have for everyone here. You'll love the end result." He proceeded to pick Noel up and dragged her, standing in front of the glowing monolith. The first step was now running its course. "Just wanna make sure of something, Noel. You don't remember anything, right?"

Noel simply shook her head as if she wanted to say "No".

"Good." The evil man smiled sinisterly as always, feeling that his scheme could work after all. "Then let me refresh your memory with this history lesson. Trust me, you'll love every second of it." He fought the urge to chuckle. He began to tell the blond Bearer of Hope everything out loud for everyone to hear.

"Once upon a time, mankind found the first gate. Being stupid humans, they decided they wanted to know what was on the other side, so they created what they called Boundary Interface Prime Field Devices. See, humans are such pussies that they can't survive on the other side, and their machines are just as pathetic.  
Of course, they failed. Over and over and over, until finally, somehow, one of these test subjects made it aaaaaall the way to the deepest part of the Boundary... The heart of it, I guess you could say. The Azure. And when it did that... well. Let's just say shit got real.  
This thing─they call 'em "prime fields" when they're lazy─developed emotions. One of these puppets built for nothing but observation and research somehow grew a soul. 'Course, all the scientists thought they were goddamn geniuses making some kind of incredible breakthrough. I mean, they were, but not the one they thought.  
See, when it grew a soul, this prime field also developed the power of the Eye. And these scientists, they had no idea just what that meant.  
I mean, think about it! The Eye could observe whatever it wanted, and whatever it observed was real! See?! Eh heh heh. See...  
Anyway, before long, the scientists figured this out, and being the small, shortsighted little maggots that they were, they tried to destroy it. That didn't work so well, so they decided to seal it back to the Boundary. They threw it all the way to the bottom, down in the darkness, where there was nothing.  
But hey! You know this isn't the end! Anybody does! I mean, once humans got a taste of that power, the kind of power only a GOD should have... Well.  
The idiots decided it would be a good idea if they could really tap into the power of the Azure. Might give them a leg up on the battlefield, you know? So they built more prime field devices.  
But you see, these ones weren't just recon tools anymore. Ooooooh no! These were balls-out weapons of mass destruction! The moment one of these babies popped outta the cauldron, the humans would just seal away its emotions, turning it into a slave. A puppet.  
Still paying attention? Looks kinda empty in there, to be honest.  
Anyway, this is where it gets interesting. Well... hmm. I dunno. Maybe if you find tragedies interesting? The things were treated like tools─well, no, "weapons" is better. Like, you know, a hand grenade or a bomb or something. Ooh hoo! Scary, scary!"

There was a lingering feeling that was steadily increasing inside Noel's self, like a hidden aspect of her wanting to burst out. Terumi continued with his tattletale.

"Man, you know, I'm actually getting tired of talking. Guess that's what happens when you make your body do stuff it's not used to, huh?  
So, you wanna hear more? There's a lot more, you know. You wanna hear it? Do ya?"

Even though Noel was feeling something painful inside of her and shook her head, the plea was ignored.

"Yes please? Well, if you ask so nicely, of course I'll tell you! You see, the tools─these puppets─I've been telling you about... they're your REAL brothers and sisters! Oh, poor little Noel─ aw, what am I saying? That's not your real name. So, "Noel," what does all of that make YOU?"

"Ack! What is...?" Ryo had a sudden headache that bothered him a lot. He thought it was something random, because he never really got headaches in the first place, but then he realized something... A latent power within him finally awakened inside of him after so much time: his power to sense other people's Aura, their vital escence. Perhaps the feeling that Noel was having was the cause of this, he thought. "(What is happening to her? Is that Terumi freak doing this to her? This has to stop NOW!)"

An unfamiliar voice echoed inside the human-turned-Lucario's mind.

" _Yes, young one... Awaken your latent power... Let it take hold of your spirit..._ "

"(Who is this?)" Ryo, sadly, didn't have the time to ponder that thought over, as he saw what happened next: Bolverk was emitting a negative wave of energy.

Terumi laughed triumphantly, seeing that everything was going according to plan.

"Hyahaaaah! So you've been in denial this WHOLE TIME!?  
Well, yeah, of course. I guess you would be. I mean, anybody else in your situation would do the same, right? Still, this is something you're gonna have to live with, you know? You gotta learn to accept it. You gotta learn to be you!"

The suffering becam even more unbearable for Noel to handle. She was practically at heaven's door, from the looks of it, because she looked like she could have a heart attack at any moment. "StopstopstopstopstopSTOP!"

Terumi hissed a few words in her ear, and they were loud and clear enough for everyone else to hear.

"You are..."

Morgana was growing frantic, so he decided to cut in and try to stop the smug serpent from doing any more harm to his beloved lady. "You better stop right now, you bastard!"

Noel was similarly demanding her captor the same words quickly. "StopitstopitSTOPIT!"

And finally, the trigger was pulled... Terumi revealed the unbearable truth to everyone.

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Fragments of Sorrow_

"You aren't a person! You were BUILT! You're just a tool! A puppet! A joke! Who the hell do you think you're fooling with your little act? Well, yourself, maybe, but hell. Can't even do that, now! You're a puppet, girl! Just like that sad sack of crap we all took turns pounding on a while back!"

Those words were the last straw.

Noel could not bear the heavy weight that was becoming stronger inside her.

Terumi did it. He said the correct words that would trigger the traumatic memory of Noel's true self.

Everyone had different reactions, all of them negative.

Akira Kurusu was frozen in surprised bewilderment after the reveal.

Morgana was heartbroken when he heard that such a beautiful blondie was actually an artificial being.

Shulk felt a familiar situation resurfacing, but it did not yet trigger a memory in him; he felt a letdown when he heard the word "slave". Did that mean Noel was going to succumb to mind control?

And Ryo was the most affected of them all. He felt a rush of emotions inside him that begged him to succumb to his instinct. It didn't help that he was feeling a sudden surge of power inside him. He felt enraged, and he felt like he wanted to let it all loose on the one who tortured his beloved... Beloved? Hold on. He felt that there was someone else in the hazy memories of his past, someone he liked so much... Much more than Noel... But what mattered now was that he needed to beat the living SHIT out of Yuuki Terumi!

"STOP IT─AAAAAAAAHHH!" Noel's scream of agony only fueled the flames of hatred towards Terumi for the heroes, while feeding the monstrosity that was the hooded Bringer of Despair. It felt good for Terumi, but it never felt good for the heroes.

"YYYEEEEHAHAHAHA! Damn, I'm good!" Terumi had a satisfied grin in his face, along with his yellow eyes, as he watched Bolverk vanishing in a burst of red and purple flames. "Say goodbye to those little locks, missy!"

As Bolverk was dissappearing slowly, Ryo felt a slow change in Noel. He saw darkness seeping into her, as if it was taking over her.

"I don't... want this..." she muttered. "Idon'twantthisIdon'twantthis..."

Bolverk was now only a thinning trial of technicolor flames as Terumi said something. "Oh! One more thing, No. 12─that's how I'll call you for now─those little toys, your Nox Nyctores thingy, Bolverk... They were a pair of limiters designed to keep you from going apeshit on everyone." He turned his gaze to the other heroes, watching in a loss for words. "Behold the ultimate killing machine of the future, everyone! Limited offer, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see this mech destroy the universe! Enjoy seeing everything you once loved become nothing more than dust! The true Successor to the Azure, Kusanagi, is available for everyone! It's okay, I like impersonating Kefka at times."

"You are an atrocious being, Terumi!" Shulk grabbed the Monado from behind his back, activating its ethereal blue blade.

"You are no better than a tyrant!" Akira took off his mask and summoned Arsene behind him, ready to kick the monster's ass.

"You'd best say your prayers, fiend!" Morgana wanted to show off with that comment, but things were serious right now, so he brandished his sword.

"Yes, yes, hate me all you want. It makes feel alive because I can kick your asses in one go!" Terumi taunted the team, then he looked back at Noel, seeing that Bolverk was now gone from existence, and her green eyes were replaced by blue ones, indicating her change of heart.

"I don't want this world... I hate it..." Noel muttered in sorrow, feeling lost.

"That's good, because you can show them the true power of the Azure Grimoire!" Terumi walked in front of the Successor to the Azure and grabbed her neck, holding a strong grip and raising her from the floor. "Have fun, my little destroyer of worlds." He moved his arm down and flung it upwards, throwing the helpless Noel high above the monolith and into a cocoon composed of metallic angel wings.

Ryo's mind was in a conflict. he felt so much rage that he bursted into a pillar of blue energy taking the form of a flame, raising the strands of his messy fur and the four appendages at the back of his head. "You..." Ryo raised his head and held his gaze up into the sky in fury. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU BASTAAAARRRRRRRRD!"

From the bag that the human-turned-Lucario had strapped around him, reaching his waist, something inside the bag was giving off an intense light. It levitated out of it, revealing to be a bracelet with a white gem embedded in its center. Said bracelet was the object shining brightly. From somewhere above the sky, a small stone fell towards Ryo, and he grabbed it before it could touch the floor. It was a gem with the colors of the rainbow. Ryo should have put the gem in one of the holes of his bracelet, but instead put it in his mouth, the fangs getting a grasp of the item in question. He pressed his fangs and allowed them to crush the stone, releasing its power, which seeped into the Lucario's self. Terumi watched in amazement as he saw the blue Bearer of Hope shine brightly, turning into a white silhouette.

"Heheheheheheh, hah hahahahahah..." Terumi laughed as he saw Ryo's form flash in an instant. Once the light dimmed out, he saw that Ryo was a few inches taller, now possessing a feral appearance. He now had longer appendages behind his head, ending with red sections, red paws with an added spike on them, longer fur from the upper body that covered his tail, and generally more black marks over his blue fur that looked like long scars. Ryo felt like a wild animal in that form, seeing that he was now standing on all fours, glaring at Terumi with murderous intent, the latter laughing maniacally.

"YAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Things were getting rough now; that was something the more collected Bearers of Hope thought.

"NOW we're talking!" Terumi exclaimed with psychotic joy. "Now with everyone here, the real fun is about to begin! Come and get me, bitches!"

"With pleasure." Akira stepped closer, followed by Morgana and Shulk, all of them prepared for battle.

As for Ryo, he lost all sense of rational thought, as he was baring his fangs, growling menacingly at the one who traumatized Noel. He had to save her. He went closer to Terumi, still walking on all fours, deciding to take him down once and for all.

With everyone rounding up on the hooded villain, Terumi saw that the fight was going to entertain him. "Well then, I still have time before Kusanagi awakens, so I might as well beat the shit outta you four. Let the games begin!"

 _BlazBlue Chronophantasma Extend Music - Silent Scream_

 **The Wheel Of Fate Is Turning!  
Rebel 1... ACTION!  
**

The ones who went to engage Terumi first were Akira and Morgana. The first fight began with a projectile coming from the cat's slingshot, which was blocked. Akira simply dashed forward and swung his dagger a few times, the hits being pushed away, unfortunately. When the villain saw Morgana jump at him with his sword about to cut him, he simply kicked away the midget, subsequentially jumping forward and slashing Akira, making him stagger for an opening. He was once again slashed with a dagger engulfed in a dark green aura, draining his energy and getting pushed away.

"Joker! Hang on!" Morgana called out Zorro and casted an augmentation on his partner.

 **Sukukaja  
** Info: Increases the Evasiveness and Accuracy of one target for a limited time.

"Check this out." Akira dashed forward and managed to slice Terumi from below, continuing with a stab to the chest and finishing with Arsene slashing away with one of his claws. "Cool, huh?"

"You better shut that mouth." Terumi slammed a hand to the ground, calling from behind his target a chain with a serpent head that bit the thief's back and pushed him forward. Terumi saw a chance for one of his more powerful attacks.

 **Dungeon of Serpents**

Terumi kicked upwards, sending Akira to the air. The hooded Bringer of Despair summoned a green magic circle that unleashed a horde of dark green ethereal snakes that bit the thief, doing a number on him.

Once Akira bounced back to the ground, landing on his feet, he called out his Persona, Arsene, and commanded him to unleash a dark wave.

 **Maiega**

"Going down!" Akira witnessed Arsene's wings unfurl, unleashing a series of projectiles that looked like dark arrows towards Terumi, who failed to dodge the swift attack.

Info: Deals medium Dark damage to all foes in sight.

"My turn. Blow him out, Zorro!" Morgana called out his Persona and commanded him to perform a powerful spell.

 **Garudyne**

Zorro moved in a swift motion his sword, drawing a "Z" in midair and releasing a green tornado that slashed away at the hooded fiend.

Info: Deals great Wind damage to one target.

"That won't do! Show me your hatred! Ouroboros!"

 **Screeches of the Condemned**

Terumi released from his sleeves a pair of chains with serpentine heads that were directed towards Akira, pulling the victim to the attacker, who kicked diagonally upwards and switched sides, continuing with another upward kick and finishing with a downward strike from above, with his hands engulfed in the dark aura that he always bore in most attacks, sending the victim crashing to the floor. " _ **YAAHAAAAAAH!**_ "

 **DISTORTION FINISH!**

"You're kidding me... Joker!" Morgana saw his partner's unconscious body lying face-down on the floor and he rushed desperately to him.

"Now cry for me, little pussy!" Terumi made swift motions with one dagger, moving it around himself and posing with his back turned.

 **Akira... LOSE!**

 **Rebel 2... ACTION!**

Next up was Shulk. He brandished the Monado with both hands, preparing for battle. "Now it's Shulk time!"

Terumi lunged forward with a hand glowing green, grabbed his opponent and swung him up and down with a dark ethereal serpent trailing swiftly to the ground, sending Shulk crashing down.

But it was a vision the wielder of the Monado had, so he sidestepped away from Terumi's hand and retaliated with a swing of his blade, pushing the enemy a few feet away.

"Is that all, you little shit?" Before Terumi could approach his target, Shulk thought about something.

"If I still have a few memories, then I should know that the Monado can..." He had an idea. "Hope it still works." He channelled the power of the sword in his hand and, in a few instants, it began glowing blue with a foreign symbol on the circular glass pad being displayed. "There we go! Speed!"

 **Monado Speed  
** Info: Increases the Evasiveness of one ally for a limited time.

Shulk felt his body getting lighter thanks to the light the Monado gave away, and when he saw Terumi jumping forward and extending a leg to kick him, he moved away in a zooming motion that was not naturally possible for a normal individual. The young swordsman saw his enemy's back turned in front of him, and executed a tactical strike.

 **Back Slash**

Shulk moved his sword above him and jumped forward, swinging it downwards in a quick motion, hitting the enemy's back and launching him a good distance away.

Info: As its name dictates, this attack deals double damage to enemies from behind.

"Guess I haven't lost my touch after so long." Shulk was satisfied to see that his skills were as refined as before.

"You really wanna beat me, huh? Well, come and get me! I'm wide open!" Terumi nonchalantly walked forward, hiding a chain behind him being grasped in his left hand.

"(He doesn't look like he's going to attack yet, but... It's suspicious. Why would he let himself open for attacks like that?)" Shulk was reconsidering the approach that he would give to his enemy. What if he had something he didn't expect? "(Well, one way to find out, I guess.)"

The Monado wielder dashed towards the defenseless Terumi and swung his blade swiftly, shocked to see that his enemy vanished into thin air.

" _Heh heh. Dumbass._ "

 **Venomous Bite**

Terumi reappeared above Shulk and landed back to the floor, swinging his arms outward and summoning chains that trapped his victim. He moved his arms inward, making the chains compress and crush the blond hero's body in extreme pain. "I know, I know, I like playing dirty. So what?"

"I have something better." Shulk channelled into his sword's power once more, releasing a healing wave that affected him a bit.

 **Light Heal  
** Info: Gathers ether from a surrounding area and slightly heals one ally.

"But I'm not done! Ha!" Shulk swung his blade upwards, sending Terumi to the air above and subsequentially jumping with him, slashing him away once more and sending him far into the nearby distance.

 **Air Slash  
** Info: Deals decent damage while inflicting the Break status. Inflicts Slow if executed from the enemy's side.

"Good show, but I have something that's definitely gonna end you! Die!" Terumi tapped into an augmenting power as he took off his hoodie, revealing his spiky green hair.

 **EX Mode!  
Overdrive: Nightmare Reaper!  
**Info: Increases the number of hits and damage of all of Terumi's attacks.

Shulk had a terrible vision. He saw himself getting mercilessly maraudered by Terumi's relentless and monstrous assault, but he could not identify the attacks. "No! I have to fight!" He braced himself, harnessing the power of his sword and trying to release an attack. "I won't allow you to have that power!"

 **Monado Purge**

Terumi was getting closer with his hand glowing green, dashing to grasp his target. He saw Shulk's attack coming from a mile away: a light green wave of ether. He dodged it, for Shulk's dismay, and once he reached his victim, Terumi performed a roundhouse kick, followed by a barrage of slashes coming from his dark daggers draining the swordsman's energy and kicking away once more, sending his target above him.

 **Serpent's Cursed Sting**

He took the opportunity to release another one of his devastating attacks. "Here, catch!" Terumi summoned two bigger daggers into his hands and swung them individually, one swing went upwards, the second went downwards, causing the victim to bounce off the ground. The serpentine Bringer of Despair took the opportunity to summon into his hands a pair of dark ethereal snake bodies that held a hard grip with their fangs on Shulk's arms, the latter being trapped in a green glyph that sent Terumi's energy to him, releasing painful waves until he ran out. The attacker then stomped hard on his target's head, sending him to the ground, where he started grinding his foot over the helpless boy's body. "Now you see what happens when you try to fight against fate? You DIE!" Terumi exclaimed those words in fury as he raised his leg, along with Shulk, and kicked his stomach hard, sending him afar to the other side of the battlefield.

 **OVERDRIVE FINISH!**

"Well, that was quick." Terumi shrugged his shoulders like he didn't care about the situation, smirking in victory.

 **Shulk... LOSE!**

 _*Music ends*  
_

There was only one opponent left in the field... although he didn't look mentally stable, to say the least...

Ryo was still glaring and growling from a safe distance, showing his hatred for the one who broke Noel's heart and turned her into a killing machine.

"Well, you're certainly eager to start a fight. Okay, promise you won't hurt me once everything starts." Terumi walked towards the glowing monolith in the center of the background, turned his back to face the battlefield and took a deep breath.

The great speech began... The speech that would trigger Noel's reawakening into whatever this "Kusanagi" was.

But before the words were yelled, Noel's thoughts inside the winged cocoon were all being heavily manipulated thanks to the revelation that she was not human.

 _"You're not me..."_

 _"I... am not real... I don't have an identity..."_

 _"Everyone wants you DEAD!"_

 _"You're a threat to this world!"_

 _"The Successor to the Azure must be eliminated! She's too dangerous to let live!"_

 _"I'll happily slay you, Successor, and I'll do a favor to the world!"_

Noel was lost in despair... She was not herself anymore... She felt that her destiny was to kill everyone who dared to attack her.

She would comply without a second thought...

Because she was the twelfth Prime Field Device. That was a memory that belonged to her, and she was certain of it.

Back with Terumi...

"Now, time to awaken! This world is nothing but lies lies lies lies LIES! But don't worry. I'll show you... I'll show you the truth... the truth called DESPAIR! In the name of Susano'o, I command you! Awaken! Kusanagi! The sword, the godslayer! Your blade will cut away the lies that cover this world!"

The winged cocoon opened in a flash of light, revealing Noel, now wearing a more revealing set of clothes. She was now barefoot, wearing a revealing pair of latex stockings, metallic blue plates that were embedded on her legs, a piece of rubber clothing that covered her crotch and chest areas but not her belly, a pair of disjointed sleeves, and a sky blue cape with red paper talismans embedded on it. The most striking features were the new haircut, which looked like it was tarnished, and the metallic plate embedded on her forehead with a crest symbol drawn on it.

" _ **YAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAH!**_ The Azure's power is mine once again! Try and stop me now... TSUKUYOMI!"

Meanwhile...

Realm of Tsukuyomi - God's Pad

Tsukuyomi was dumbstruck when he heard those words coming from one of his pawns. Did he just say something that would start a revolution from the Bringers of Despair? It couldn't be!

"What is this implication, Terumi?! Have you lost your mind?! Are you now loyal to me never more? How unfortunate... I thought I chose a great soldier for this fight. My dear Genesis... Will you please send me a ray of light to this darkened heart? I wish now for comfort... I am lost in surprise. Terumi just said something characteristic of a rebelious individual. I seek to relax myself for a while."

Altar

Ryo's eyes focused on the mechanized Noel. Even if he had gone feral, he still had thoughts and feelings, although they were now faint. Tears were now welling up on the beast's eyes. He whispered something in a hushed voice, barely audible.

"Noel..."

Terumi noticed the action and decided to call him out on it.

"What? You're crying? I thought that you went all apeshit on me for breaking Kusanagi's heart a moment ago. How are you still thinking like a normal person?"

Ryo glared towards Terumi's face, whispering something that he could hear. "No... foregiveness..." He looked back at Noel. "Save... Noel..."

"I thought I told you that her name wasn't "Noel", dumbass. It's Kusanagi! K-U-S-A-N-A-G-I! You want me to repeat that, you dimwit?"

"Noel... is Noel..."

"I knew it. Your brain got smaller thanks to that epic transformation, but what do I care? Hey, Kusanagi! Take care of the shitty mutt! I'll busy myself with other stuff."

After the command was given, the battle began, and Noel shifted into a battle form. She now had a more revealing set of mechanical parts that could put her sister Nu to shame. She kept the metallic plate on her forehead, but everything was different. She had a pair of massive shoulder pads, a red necktie over a small vest that covered her breasts, blue arms with big knives embedded on them, a yellow piece that covered her crotch, metallic blades for legs, and a set of swords floating behind her, giving the illusion of wings.

Now, there was going to be a quarrel between two Bearers of Hope, and Genesis was going to witness it in a downcast mood... Or was she going to be downcast?

 _BlazBlue Chronophantasma Music - Sword of Doom II_

" _I have been reborn as Kusanagi... The destroyer of all living creatures. I am death..."  
_

 **The Wheel Of Fate Is Turning!  
Rebel 1... ACTION!  
**

 **EX Mode!  
Mega-Evolution!  
**Info: Increases all of Ryo's stats (except HP) for the rest of the battle.  


The battle began with Ryo lunging forward on all fours, trying to find a way to bring Noel back. Once he was close enough, he did not expect the mechanized Noel to retaliate.

 **Origins**

" _Stand back, child._ " Noel formed a crystal barrier with the swords behind her that pushed Ryo away from her, then it disipated seconds later. She released two drones that began shooting laser projectiles in midair. Ryo felt like he couldn't get near the poor girl, so he decided to try something else.

 **Dark Pulse**

He stopped abruptly once he felt a series of negative thoughts. Something about Terumi made him feel like that. They accumulated until they burst into a wave of darkness that hurt Noel. Ryo could also feel a slight pain inside him after that attack.

Info: Inflicts great Dark damage to one target.

" _Away with you._ " Noel fired an electric sphere that traveled a fair distance in front of her, striking Ryo square in the face, who also recieved the laser shots from the drones before they returned to the robot. She then dashed forward and assembled her sword to perform a swift slash that pushed her target a few feet away. She called another pair of drones and commanded them to charge themselves towards their intended target as they successfully hit. They went back to the mechanized Noel as she prepared another devastating attack.

 **Wisdom of the Divines**

Noel shot a binding sphere of light that trapped Ryo. She teleported above her target and summoned eight thin swords of ethereal light that hit the beast. Noel teleported back to the ground in front of her opponent, and she saw that it wasn't enough to finish him off.

Ryo got back up, still on all fours. He saw Noel, and felt his instinct get the better of him as he started drooling.

 **Crunch**

Ryo jumped forward and clinged to Noel, chomping away at her face repeatedly with the last bite pushing her away a little.

The Successor to the Azure, howver, retaliated by charging an attack.

 **Sword of Decimation**

The blades behind her assembled in a line that looked like a curved sword and, with a swing of her arm, Noel brought them down to slash Ryo and push him to the edge of the platform.

Ryo felt his life edging closer to heaven's door, figuratively and literaly, since he was now about to slip into the abyss below the yellow sky. He saw Noel lifelessly approaching him. He had to do something! He felt some thoughts of rationality come to him, even if he had become a beast. He growled, but a few words that came out of his mouth were audibly understandable.

"Hrrrgrrarrgh, Noel, grrargh. No... Hrrgrrahh, wake up, grrargh..."

" _Noel Vermillion was never here. Only Kusanagi remains._ "

"Noel... Rrrgh..."

" _You still seek to bring her with you, foolish child? Why? The world is only filled with hatred, sin and unholy actions, and it is my duty to slay all of mankind, for they deserve this punishment. There is no hope for the world to become pure!_ "

"( _No, Noel... I know you would never do that. You're not being you, girl. You just believed in something stupid, especially coming from a maniac like Terumi._ )"

Ryo never noticed, but he sent a telepathic message to Noel. Did he reach her?

" _You dare defy the truth, fiend?! Then I shall punish your stubborness!_ "

Perhaps not, but Ryo knew that Noel was somewhere, trapped within her own mechanized body.

Noel called forth four drones and began charging what looked like a combined laser beam. But before she could fire...

" _Your sins shall be purged from this world!_ "

 _*Music stops*_

...another telepathic message got to the point.

"( _No hope? You gotta be crazy if you believe that. You have to remember who you really are. The Noel I know wouldn't simply turn everything to ash just because everyone has their flaws. Isn't that right? ...Noel? ...Helloooo, can you hear me? You ARE Noel Vermillion, are you?_ )"

Those words triggered a voice in Noel's hazy memories to yell at her in proud fury.

 _"You're Noel Vermillion, damnit!"_

" _Who is... Ragna?_ " Noel stumbled backwards, feeling doubtful.

The same voice in Ryo's head beckoned something to him.

" _Now, boy! That thing on her forehead, crush it with all your might!_ "

 _Persona 5 Music - Our Beginning_

"Hrrrawrrrgh!" Ryo lunged forward, locking his eyes towards the metallic plate on Noel's forehead. He jumped forward and clingged himself to the mechanized girl's shoulder pads, getting a hold of the plate with the fangs in his mouth.

" _Stay back! Ugh! Let go of me, you fiend! What in the world are you doing?!_ " Noel struggled to shove the beast off from her, but the grip he had was so strong that it was proving to be difficult to do so.

"(What does it look like I'm doing? I'm waking you up, Noel! Hold still!)" Ryo's rationality was coming back to him by the second, perhaps because the secondary effects of the transformation were fading away.

Noel's body began to electrocute itself; perhaps it was a defense mechanism that activated automatically whenever someone got too close. The drones were also activated, and they were shooting their lasers towards Ryo. He might have staggered a bit, but he kept his grip.

"Hrrrrrrrraaaahh!" Ryo closed his eyes shut as he was resisting the pain from the defensive mechanism that Noel's body activated automatically and involuntarily. He could also feel something stabbing him on his upper body; it was the eight swords that were now moving by themselves in a desperate attempt at making Ryo let go of Kusanagi. "(I think I can do this! Just a little more!)"

The plate was growing a few cracks now.

" _Impossible... What is happenning?_ " Noel's emotions were now resurfacing slowly.

The swords were still stabbing Ryo, while the drones were still shooting their lasers, but that didn't stop the beastly Bearer of Hope from saving Noel. "Hrrrrrrrrrrh!"

The plate's cracks were growing more to the point that it was becoming fragile. It was working! Just a little more!

"(I'm looking forward... to seeing your eyes, Noel... I want you to be... happy...)"

And finally, after so much struggling... Ryo's sharp fangs tore the plate apart.

He looked just in time to see Noel's eyes return to their natural emerald green color. It was proof that she had been fred from her prison.

 _*Music ends*_

The swords fell to the ground, no longer being controlled by the defense system of Kusanagi's coding. The drones also retreated, and the electrocution stopped.

Ryo was weakened from all the wounds he recieved, but his life was still clinging with a hard grip to the world of the living. He fell forward, and in a swift motion, Noel reacted quickly and caught him in her hands.

"Ryo!" Noel saw how exhausted her guardian was. She layed her knees to the ground, letting Ryo lay on her lap.

 _Aria Di Mezzo Carattere (Italian Lyrics)_

"I did it..." Ryo said in a hushed voice.

"What happenned? Why are you hurt? I'm at a loss..." Noel asked.

"I... saved you... from your sadness... and from Kusanagi..."

"Kusanagi? Who?"

"Look at yourself..."

Noel did as she was told, and she was shocked to see herself turned into a mechanical being.

"Is this... me?"

"No, you don't really look like that... Terumi did this to you... so that he could get away with getting rid of us... You got turned into Kusanagi, so to speak..."

"Did I... really hurt you that much? Oh! Sorry! I'm sorry! It wasn't my fault, I swear!"

"Heh..." Ryo smiled softly and closed his eyes tiredly. "You were... always... a big mess, Noel... Never change..." With that said, and in a flash of light, Ryo returned to his original friendly form and went to sleep.

"Ryo...? Ryo? Hey, can you hear me? Are you still with me?" Noel felt a bit desperate. "Ryo! Don't leave me, please! I beg you! Don't die on me!" Tears were escaping her eyes and were now trailing over her cheeks. She sobbed and inclined herself, placing her head over Ryo. "Hwaaaah... Stupid puppy..."

Even though Noel thought that she lost Ryo, the blue Pokémon was sleeping peacefully.

In his sleep, he was dreaming about something from his lost memories. From those dreams, he whispered what he saw.

"How about if we go to that little hill overlooking the village, eh? We could be talking with each other all day... We could be having a good time looking at the clouds at the sky, or the stars above. Is this... true love? Yeah, I think it is love..."

"Now you're saying dumb things, puppy... Stop being so dumb..." Noel kept crying over the slumbering Ryo.

"We could go around the world... We could see new places, and maybe you could have the world map you've always dreamed of. You wanna cope with me, girl? I'll be with you until we reach the end of our adventure."

"What are you saying, puppy? I don't really want a world map."

"But don't upset Gramps, okay? I don't wanna be on the recieving end of one of his rants."

"Gramps? But there's no one like that." Noel had a confused expression in her face.

"Don't ever leave... Riley..." Ryo sniffed and let some tears escape his closed eyes.

"Silly puppy... You're being dumb again. Don't worry. Genesis will take care of you, and so will I."

"Thanks for being with me, guys... Don't ever leave... I'm happy when I'm with you..."

"Who are you talking to, puppy? You must be dreaming about some friends that I think I don't know about. Sleep tight, then."

Noel smiled with her eyes still teary, rubbing Ryo's messy fur over his head.

Both Bearers of Hope were happy together. They felt like they shared a true mutual bond where their hearts were connected.

But they still felt that there was someone in their hazy memories that liked them back home, so they clinged to the fact that they were waiting for their respective beloved friends, longing to return to their side.

For now, though, Noel and Ryo were having a tender time together.

 **Noel and Ryo have now forged an unbreakable bond!  
A new attack has been learned!**

 _*Music ends*_

Realm of Tsukuyomi - God's Pad

"So I was right when I said to myself that you were going to defect and disobey me... How disapointing..."

 _Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance Music - Xehanort - The Early Years_

"Don't feel bad, mister. I can make a better god than you. Just watch."

"Terumi... What is the meaning of this? Care to explain yourself?"

"I simply decided to take care of matters myself. First: I break that doll's heart so that she becomes the god-slaying sword. Second: Knowing that she was gonna snap out of her destroyer mindset, I have a backup plan where I go for someone else with the help of Kefka and good ol' Satan. And third: I prove to you that I can deserve that little throne of yours by surpassing your raw power. Wanna try and stop me? I'm open for a good sparring match."

"Well, then... I will put you back in your respective place."

"That's what I like to hear. Bring it, buster!"

 _BlazBlue Central Fiction Music - MUST DIE_

 **The Wheel Of Fate Is Turning!  
Rebel 1... ACTION!  
**

 **EX Mode!  
Overdrive: Nightmare Reaper!**

"God of destruction?" Terumi lunged forward, grabbing Tsukuyomi's corvid body and swinging his arm from one side to the other, releasing a dark green ethereal snake that trailed upwards and downwards, biting the dark god to the ground. "That's suposed to be MY title!"

"You are not being rational, you monstrosity!" Tsukuyomi struggled to move his wings back to the air, but the next attack reached him.

"So what?! I love destruction and despair, just like Kefka!" Terumi swung his arms swiftly, slashing with his daggers enveloped in dark green aura, draining the corvid god's energy. He continued by releasing his serpentine chains forward.

 **Screeches of the Condemned**

"Ouroboros!" Terumi's chains held a grip of his target and pulled him to kick him upwards. "Have fun being the one who suffers!" The serpentine Bringer of Despair kicked diagonally upwards, switching sides, doing so four times before descending from the sky with a dark green ethereal snake trial pushing the god to the floor in pain. " _ **EEYAHAAAAAAH!**_ Prepare for the final touch!"

 **EX Burst!  
Unholy Wrath of the Basilisk**

Terumi threw his chains to the ground, where Tsukuyomi was lying helplessly on. The chains caught the dark god in a tight grip.

The scenery in the background shattered like glass, and both characters were taken to a void with a shining yellow trail of light with a red shade.

A red portal appeared behind Terumi, summonig a flurry of enormous ethereal snakes that hurt Tsukuyomi that he was practically at death's door. The flurry stopped, and Terumi changed into a suit of dark animated armor with glowing green lines on it. "This is the true power..." He summoned a long sword that he swung swiftly, leaving a green line that slashed the god of destruction and made him disappear, leaving nothing behind. "...of _**DESPAIR!**_ "

 **ASTRAL FINISH!**

 _Dissidia Music - Victory Fanfare (Villains)  
_

"Heheh... Heheheh..." Terumi became engulfed in a dark green aura as he covered his face with his left hand, laughing all the while. Then he extended his arms with open hands to his sides and laughed maniacally to the sky in triumph. " _ **YEEEEHAHAHAAAH!**_ "

 **Terumi... WIN!**

"Now that I'm free, I can finally take command of this little team! But I need to take care of business first."

Altar

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Organization XIII  
_

Terumi arrived from the dark vortex that all the Bringers of Despair used for travel. He saw Noel kneeling on the ground with Ryo sound asleep.

"Well, at least I got things taken care of. I thought you could have supported me with my little rebelion, Kusanagi. But hey, at least the deja vu thing has its uses and exploits. Thanks for noticing, Kokonoe. Gotta admit, that stupid cat made my day for once."

Noel looked up to Terumi and glared at him.

"Wait, don't tell me it finished so quickly. Gezz, that author is also a shitty storyteller, and, as much as I hate to do this, I agree with the little cat. Her slip-ups are so amazing!"

Noel stood up, facing Terumi's sinister glowing yellow eyes.

"What's up? You wanna say something, Kusanagi? Are you still with me?"

 _*Music stops*_

"No." Noel said with determination building up inside her. "Because... I know who I am, and I know what I'll do."

Terumi frowned. "Well, that was a good way to spoil my fun. You still wanna destroy all humans, Kusanagi?"

"To hell with all that "Kusanagi" plot. I just want to be normal!"

"Oooh, that's some aggro you have there, girl."

 _Dissidia Music - March_

"I have suffered becuase of you. I don't remember anything, but there is something in my memories that tells me that you hurt me a lot. It's telling me the truth. You're a monster!"

"I hurt **YOU**? Oh, riiight, I think I technically did hurt you. I had to torture Saya so that you could be made, with a little help from Relius, of course. Izanami also needed her as her vessel so that she could wreak havoc."

"Have you no shame?! Whoever that Saya was, she cried because of _**YOU**_! You're unforgivable... I feel like I'm not supposed to, but I hate you. I hatehatehatehatehatehatehate _**YOU!**_ I won't forgiveforgiveforgiveforgiveforgiveforgiveforgive you! All of these feelings, this body, this personality... this soul... They may not really belong to me, but they're part of who I am! My name is Noel Vermillion! My freedom begins today!"

"So you finally grew into the annoying bitch that I used to know before this little war started? Very well..." Terumi brandished his daggers and prepared to fight. "I'll break you as many times as I need to, even if you try to kill me! _**EEEEHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_ "

Noel also prepared to fight with her new body, activating the systems within.

"Initiating battle protocols. Releasing limiters. Battle system start! Witness the power of the Azure Grimoire!"

 _Pandora Tears (feat. Kanako Kondo)_

 **The Wheel Of Fate Is Turning!  
Rebel 1... ACTION!  
**

Noel charged diagonally upwards and swung her swords in an arc motion, but they were blocked by Terumi. She crouched and extended her leg outwards to kick her arch-enemy in the foot, making him stumble back and prompting the heroine to begin a combo. She performed a frontflip and kicked with both blades in her feet, summoned a drone before spinning and swinging her swords to slash Terumi, extended her right leg to kick him in the stomach, summoned another drone and, seeing that they were locked in place and firing their lasers, decided to fire a beam that reached one drone and then the other to fire a more powerful beam. Once the attacks were finished, Noel decided to end her combo.

 **Wisdom of the Divines**

Noel fired a binding sphere that trapped Terumi, teleported above her enemy and called eight swords of light that dove straight into their intended target. "Yes! This is who I am! A savior!"

"You're a destroyer, Kusanagi! Face it!"

 **Gleaming Fang**

Terumi engulfed himself in a dark aura taking the form of a snake head and dashed forward in a blinding speed, slashing Noel away and behind him.

Once Noel bounced safely to the ground, she decided to wait for Terumi to come closer. Once he was a good distance in front of her...

 **Origins**

...she casted a blue barrier that encased her and pushed her attacker away. Once the barrier disipated, she summoned all four drones, locking them in midair and seeing them shoot their laser projectiles, scoring quite the number of hits on the hooded villain.

 **Blessed Mirror**

"Here it comes! Be prepared!" Noel commanded the drones to charge powerful laser beams that hit multiple times and made their locked target stagger long enough for the Successor to continue the assault by slashing with her eight swords upwards, front-flipping with two kicks, another slash from her swords, an electric sphere and another charged attack.

 **Sword of Discarding**

The eight blades formed in a curved line and, with a swing of Noel's arms, slashed the opponent, finishing her assault, for now.

"I think it's my turn now, Kusanagi. You didn't give me a chance to attack, so I'll show you my power!"

 **The Divine Twin Blades**

Terumi performed two consecutive backflips, kicking Noel up into the air with dark snakes trailing behind. He continued his combo with a small kick, wild swings of his arms with dark aura draining her force, another quick kick followed by a dash with a kick and a downwards slash of his dagger making his victim bounce painfully and crash to the floor.

Noel recovered from the attack and decided that she had enough pain for one whole day. She had an idea.

"I need someone to help me in this fight!"

Noel remembered Ryo calling out for the cavalry back in the fight against Akechi, Nu and the possessed Riku, so she tried using Genesis' Companion's Call to summon aid... and someone came to help indeed.

"Let's go, Carby!" Arle and Carbuncle made their appearance, appearing from a white vortex. "Fire!" They released a few fireballs that flew forward and burned Terumi a little before both characters returned to the town through the same white portal, which vanished on cue.

"Nice one, Kusanagi, but not quite to beat me." Terumi stood his ground.

"Then I'll ascend even higher!" Noel released the limiters that were locking away even more potential. "Max power reached! Commencing extermination of all threats present!"

 **EX Mode!  
Overdrive: Steins Geyser!  
**Info: Drones will fire at shorter intervals, therefore shooting more projectiles.

Noel summoned all four drones, all of them firing quickly, applying pressure to Terumi, who was blocking all the while. The Successor took this opportunity to dash forward like a rocket and slide one foot to the floor, kicking her enemy's foot and creating an opening for a devastating attack. All of the drones were hitting their lasers like crazy, scoring a big number of hits and prompting Noel to unleash one of her most powerful attacks.

 **Pillar of Light**

Noel extended her arms forward, stabbing Terumi with the knives that were embedded on her hands. She then summoned her eight swords, floating above the villain. "This is your punishment, fiend!" Once the command was given, the swords impacted to the ground, creating a cross of white light that damaged Terumi.

The Successor to the Azure, however, was not finished.

 **EX Burst!  
Sword of the Godslayer**

Noel grabbed Terumi, stabbing not only him with her knives, but also the background, which shattered into a vortex of yellow light with a blue shade. The swords behind her assembled and formed a pink barrier with a diamond shape that encased the Bringer of Despair.

"There can be no true salvation in chaos..." Noel summoned eight massive swords that glowed in a blue light. "It is mankind's duty to protect all they hold dear! I will become the savior of the world!" She moved her hand forward, prompting the swords to move down towards Terumi and stab him one by one, with the final stab ending the fight and returning them to the battlefield's main platform.

 **ASTRAL FINISH!**

Noel felt a light within, and in an instant, it flashed, returning her to her normal human form with Bolverk in her holsters. "I found my purpose, and I won't be tarnished by desapir itself."

 **Noel... WIN!**

 _*Music ends*  
_

Another blinding flash made Noel cover her eyes with her with her left arm. After a few seconds, she saw it. Her Hope. A rectangular blue crystal, bearing the monolith's crest symbol. As soon as Noel saw said crest, she recognized the form that it belonged to.

"Is this... the Azure Grimoire? It looks like it, but I think it's something different... Of course, it's my Hope."

Noel extended her hands forward, grasping her destined gem and saving it in her inventory. She then saw Terumi trying to retreat in a dark vortex on the floor.

 _BlazBlue Music - Stardust Memory_

"Of course it's your Hope... you deserve it... But this doesn't mean we're finished... I'll return to get you, my little bitch... Kusanagi..."

"I already told you that my name is Noel!"

Terumi finally retreated through the dark portal, returning to headquarters. As for Noel, she saw a white vortex opening a good distance in front of her, and decided to walk towards it, but not without carrying Ryo above her shoulder, with Morgana, carrying Akira and Shulk and struggling to pull them, following behind.

"(I know who I am... Terumi may have told me that I'm just a doll, but I'm no puppet of him. I have a human soul, and I have my own feelings. I can cry, get angry, smile, fear and love... I have a name: Noel Vermillion. My memories tell me I was given that name as a child... Speaking of memories, who is this "Ragna" person? If we win this fight, will I be able to see him again? Well, I can only find out after I finish pressing onward. Ragna, everyone... Wait for me. I'll be back soon. It's a promise.)"

 _Final Fantasy Music - The Prelude_

 _Noel grew more determined from now on...  
Her resolve was now to keep her identity as a human being  
despite acknowledging that she was built as a Prime Field Device._

 _She would not lose sight of who she truly was:  
the Successor to the Azure;  
not a slayer of life, but a savior of the world._

 _With new hopes revived within, the juvenile heroine pushes onward  
to new possibilities..._


	14. ¡Vamos a la Playa!

The Bearers of Hope were dumbfounded...

One second earlier, they were standing in front of the central fountain back in the town, talking about their next course of action.

Then, in the next, as if it was another day, they were now standing on the shore of an unknown island, feeling as if they were transported to another world. Genesis never told them about a beach resort existing in her realm, so they did not know what really happened.

"What...? Is this a dream?" Terra was the first one to speak.

"Of course not. We're all awake around here. I'm not gonna bother pinching you." Akira expressed his thoughts about the situation.

"At least we didn't wake up underwater." Morgana meow'd, with Akira being the only one to understand his words, since he was back to his normal quadrupedal look.

"It feels like we're back to my island, but it doesn't look like my home." Sora was accostumed to living on an island, so he felt like he wasn't a stranger in the new land.

"If Genesis did this, maybe it was because she wanted to give us a time to relax?" Ryo didn't feel any worry about the situation that was being presented to him and the other heroes.

"Do you really think Genesis would think about sending us to a deserted island without telling us earlier?" Shulk was quite concerned about waking up on a shore with no hint of knowing where they were.

"At least we get time to play on the water! Right, Carby?" Arle was another person who felt no worry about standing on a shore with no signs of company except the other members of the heroic team.

"Gu guu!" Carbuncle sounded like he agreed to have a fun time.

"Guys? Don't you think we need to find other people first? We need to know where we are. What if we never return? No... I don't want to know what might happen." Noel was trying to hide her concerns, but she was growing nervous for ending up in an unknown location. She looked around and wandered aimlessly until one of her steps triggered a bizarre event...

 ***THUD***

" **OOOW! Hey, not there! It hurts!** "

Noel jumped back in surprise. "Aah! Sorry, sir, I didn't see you! Are you okay?"

"Whoa! Where did that voice come from? Is it a Bug-type Pokémon?" Ryo looked around frantically, but couldn't find the source of the voice.

"Hey, you! Yeah, the dog with the unusual blue fur and messy head! Who are you calling a bug?!" The voice called out, sounding from everywhere.

"Show yourself already! If you're an enemy, I won't hesitate to fight back!" Shulk brandished the Monado, preparing to fight the stranger who kept yelling.

"Oh, can't you see that I'm right under your feet!? I **am** showing myself to you, basically."

"Are you invisible? Because we can't see you." Akira was having doubts about trusting the voice's words.

"Oh, come on! You have to be crazy if you believe I'm invisible. You are seeing me right now, believe it or not. You really wanna know who I am?"

"Of course! Don't keep us like this!" Sora exclaimed.

"Well, prepare for the big surprise! I am... the **Contending Isles!** "

Akira expressed a look of disbelief. "Uh... what?"

"I'm a talking island, in short. Welcome to my world! Make yourselves comfortable!"

There was not a single person among the Bearers of Hope that believed the fact about a talking island.

"Oh, don't look so bad, eh? You want proof? Bear witness my power!"

From a poof of white smoke, various sets of swimwear appeared on the sand around the heroes, startling them.

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Destiny Islands_

"What the hell is going on?" Akira said in a loss.

"I'm just doing my job." The island said. "Now, let me explain how things work around here. In the Contending Isles, you compete against each other for one goal: to be the best among your rivals!"

"Compete, you say? How so?" Shulk showed a small trace of curiosity in his voice.

"Well, you fight in a series of events, including─"

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Bustin' Up on the Beach_

"Did you just say "fight", mister island? Yeah! I was waiting to crack my fists with someone!" Ryo pumped himself up and took a position, preparing for combat.

"If it's an opponent you seek, I may as well give you the pleasure of a challenge." Akira brandished his dagger.

"That's what I'm talking about! Here I─"

 _*Music stops*_

"Wait, hold it, puppy! You can't just go and slap someone in the face without listening to me first!"

Before Ryo could dash towards Akira, the island called out and stopped both boys.

"Now, as I was sayin'..."

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Destiny Islands_

"You participate in a series of events that will be fitting for the setting that you are in right now. That means you will have to play **beach games**!" The island exclaimed the last two words in a jovial tone of voice before continuing. "We have the following events in this list: you can make teams in volleyball, you can try smashing open a watermelon, we have a swimming track for those who like the water, you can go for the traditional sand castle and build it as best as you can, there's even a treasure hunt if you like those!"

"Treasure?" Ryo's ears perked up at the sound of the aforementioned word. He didn't know why, but it reminded him of something back in his homeworld.

"Yes, there's loot hidden over here! And if you wanted to literally fight, we even have a field for that event! Fascinating, eh?" The island's voice sounded quite excentric... So excentric that, in fact, it made Noel feel familiar about that voice. "And if you ever feel hungry, we have a special menu for ya!"

"Wow! This island has so much to offer!" Sora put his hands behind his head with an expression of joy in his face. "If Genesis took us here, she made the right choice."

"Genesis? Sorry, but I think you arrived here outta nowhere like "POOF", and then I saw you guys waking up. I didn't see a boat carry you here, so I'm sorry to say that I don't know about this Genesis person at all."

"So we arrived here, just like that, without a boat? That's crazy." Akira said in a loss.

"But hey, at least we can relax under the sun." Ryo told the thief.

"I'm not finished with what I was talking about, if you're so kind to listen!" The island exclaimed. "I did say that you were gonna compete to see who was the best among y'all, ah? Well, by "the best", I meant to say who is the better candidate for main protagonist!"

 _*Music stops*_

"What the heck?!" Morgana's eyes widened in shock. How could an island know things about ensemble casts and characters? "Joker wouldn't fall for something like that!"

"Huh? What was that? Why is the kitty hissing like that?"

Too bad that the cat's current form only produced meowing to the ears of those who did not possess a Persona. Thankfully, "Joker" was there as his translator.

"Hey. You pissed him off with that thing about a better candidate for main protagonist."

"Well, too bad! 'Cause this is only the beginning! You need to fight for your main role or else you'll end up as a supporting side character!"

"What!?"

"As for you, ladies... You must be fighting for the role of female lead! Go bust a move, babeh!"

"This is getting really wierd." Arle was at a loss. She couldn't express her disbelief better with half closed eyes on her face.

"Terra, let's fight!" Noel approached Terra in a swift motion.

"Huh?! Noel, what are you doing?" Terra couldn't believe that she saw Noel wanting to fight like that.

 _BlazBlue Music - Run_

"This is a duel that will decide our destiny as the main character. I won't hesitate! If you even think about stealing my chance, I will have to put you down! I am prepared for this moment! Are you, Terra?"

"Uh... Um... Noel, you don't usually pump yourself up like that? What's gotten into you?" Terra was taken aback by Noel's newfound determination.

"Terra, ever since I gained my Hope, I felt more determined than ever before. I know who I am: a heroine! I am strong enough to stand up by myself. I hope you're ready to defend your destiny."

"Yeah! Hahaaah! That's what I wanna see! It's gonna go down to a cat fight!" The island was getting overexcited at the sight of two girls about to clash in a duel.

 _*Music stops*_

" **BUT NOT WITH THAT!** "

However, the island had something else to say.

"You wanna know why I brought those swimsuits here? You can't fight with those clothes! You need to change into your battle attires right there! We're in a beach, after all, so we need to stay close to the theme in question!"

"You want us..." Ryo moved his fingers to himself. "...to wear those..." He moved his hands to the sets of swimsuits lying on the floor. "...before we fight? I'm a Lucario! Can't you see that I'm okay with my fur? Besides, I look like I'm wearing shorts and a tank top, so no thanks!"

"That's why I prepared for something like that. Someone get some scissors! I can't shave his upper body 'cause islands can't move and don't have hands!"

"Wait, did he say shave?"

"We got this. You with me, Mona?" Akira had a mallicious aura around him that turned his eyes red.

"We're gonna make this pup have a bad hair day." Morgana was supporting the idea of making Ryo look like he was topless. He wanted to try, after all.

 _Persona 5 Music - Tension_

"Uh, guys? You're making me nervous. Do you even know how to do this?" Ryo was starting to tremble against his will.

"I practiced with Mona here, so I won't have trouble grooming you so that you look like you're wearing a swimsuit. Now stay calm, it won't hurt." Akira was now approaching his trembling target.

"You won't know until you try it yourself." Mona was also advancing in a manner that made the human-turned-Pokémon uncomfortable.

"No, guys, I don't need you to─uh... Stop, please. I don't wanna get hurt. Are you even listening? No no no! NO! AAH!"

The sounds of clipping, snipping, cutting and thrashing were now reverbrating a good distance away as the three were now in a ball of cartoonish smoke.

 ***SLASH!*  
*SNIP!*  
*CLIP!*  
*SHING!***

"AAH! NO! Not there! It kinda tickles! Ahah!" Ryo was finding himself helpless.

"Hold still, will ya?" Morgana was struggling a bit to keep their customer from moving.

"It's only a pair of scissors, so what?" Akira was cutting strand after strand of cream fur off from the Lucario's upper body, doing a fine job. "You'll like it in the end, so bear with us!"

"Aaaah! Noel! Shulk! Sora! Anyone! Save me, please! Aaah!"

After a few seconds, the thrashing ended...

 _*Music stops*_

...and Ryo was now looking over his new appearance.

"We also had a little trouble with the things on your shoulders, but we also got rid of them pretty quick." Morgana commented.

"Well, whaddya think, buddy?"

Ryo's upper body now had a layer of blue fur, along with his arms, and the rings on his shoulders were also taken care of, but not the spikes. He also looked like he was sparkling, drawing attention from the girls while also blushing all the while. He finally gave an opinion after looking at himself for many seconds.

"To be honest, this is better than I expected. I feel half naked now, but still, it's perfect."

 _Persona 5 Music - Sweet_

Noel and Terra approached the now "half-naked" Lucario, feeling a certain attractiveness from his appearance.

"Uh, oh. Looks like we made him look a bit lewd. Wanna watch?" Akira, nevertheless, regretted nothing.

"Sure. Might as well see our fair judge ladies give their verdict." Morgana moved away a few feet with "Joker" over his side, both thieves deciding to observe what would develop.

"Uh... Ryo, has this ever happened to you before? Because you look great like that." Terra tried real hard not to look like she was expressing intimacies towards Ryo.

"Ryo... I didn't know that you could look so good... Why am I... feeling like this? I can't say for sure, but... you should stay like that for a little longer. Is that okay?" Noel was reluctantly expressing herself openly, and she didn't know why she talked like an innocent girlfriend.

"Just don't feel bad about it, Ryo. You shouldn't hate yourself for losing fur. It had to be done. Do you feel... um... fresh with your upper body exposed like that?" Terra felt like she was losing a battle of wits against herself simply by staring into Ryo's bare chest. It was like being a completely different person.

"Can you please stop? You're making me feel awkward." Ryo tried to stop his embarassment, but the two girls wouldn't stop staring.

Meanwhile, Akira and Morgana were having a blast seeing the situation develop into a combination of hilarity and romance.

"You think we made the right decision, Mona?" Akira asked to his companion.

"The island guy started this. We had to do it, and now look at him. Hope he comes back with his dignity untouched."

"I think that we cut through his dignity already."

"Yeah, I think so too. Well this is what you get when you show off your masculinity."

"Must've felt like that with other girls back home. Wish I could remember."

After a few moments...

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Bustin' Up on the Beach_

"Yah!"

The team was now having a volleyball match. Noel was the one who served the ball to the opposing team.

Speaking of Noel, she was now wearing a two-piece white bikini with a golden choker around her neck and a pair of sandals. She decided to become the leader of Team Bloom Trigger, consisting of her, Terra and Arle.

"Hah!"

Akira bounced the ball back by swinging his clenched hands together upwards. He was wearing a pair of blue swimming shorts and sandals. He was also the leader of Team Leblanc, which was a name that came from the thief's hazy memory.

"I got this! Hm!"

Terra jumped and threw her right arm around to slap the ball back to the other side of the net. She was wearing a white one-piece swimsuit with pink horizontal stripes that ended in a design that made it look like a skirt.

"Not on my watch! Hyah!"

Shulk slapped the ball back, preventing it from falling to his team's field. He was wearing a pair of marine-blue trunks and small shoes, accompanied by a necklace and a bracelet in his left wrist.

"C'mon, Carby!"  
"Gu gu guu!"

Arle jumped with both of her hands held high, pushing the ball above the net. She was wearing a marine-blue two-piece bikini, while Carbuncle was wearing a white bandana around his forehead for some reason.

"I got it! Rrraah!"

Ryo managed to slap the ball back to the opposing team's field, seeing that it flew pretty high above the net. The boys didn't expect what came next, though.

Noel jumped and smacked the ball right as it was about to fall below the net's height, making it land on Team Leblanc's side in a burst of sand. "I can't believe I actually did it!"

"Oooooh! Looks like the flat beauty managed to score one point for her team! And spectacularly, no less!" The island exclaimed.

"Did I hear that right?" Noel had a fierce look in her face.

"No, I didn't say a thing, miss." The island's voice expressed nervousness.

"The score is 1 to 0!"

By the island's request, Morgana was the scorekeeper, while Sora was the referee of the match. The Keyblade wielder was wearing a pair of blue swimming shorts with red horizontal lines in the bottom part.

"The rules say that the team that didn't score last time gets to serve, right? So the guys get the ball." Sora was muttering to himself in order to remember how the game's rules worked. "Okay, Akira, catch!" He tossed the ball to the team leader.

Akira caught the ball and prepared himself to begin the series of slaps and smacks. "Witness my power!" He jumped and slapped the ball to the other side of the field, where Terra was quick enough to pass it to Arle, who in turn passed it to Noel, who jumped and smacked hard, aiming to the other side of the field.

Before the ball could touch the ground, however, Ryo was quick enough to dash and push the ball back to the air, where Shulk jumped and slapped hard to deliver it to the ground and score one point for his team. "I didn't even have to see through the future to score that one!"

"1 to 1!"

Once Noel caught the ball that Sora passed, she served it by pushing upwards with open palms, making the ball rise above the field.

"Hey, guys! I came up with something!" Ryo called out to his teammates, making them look at him.

"I hope your plan works, amigo." Akira looked up to see that the ball was beginning its descent.

"Make it quick, Ryo. I hope it does us good." Shulk put himself in position.

"Akira, to Shulk!" Ryo pushed the ball to the thief, who then passed it to the blonde seer, who then swung his arms swiftly to send the ball to the sky, making a twinkle effect... After a few seconds, the ball descended rapidly with a trail of fire left behind, like a meteor, crashing to the ground and sending sand everywhere.

"So that's how you improvise, huh?" Shulk directed his words to Ryo.

"Well, I just came up with it, but I didn't think it would work like that." Ryo scratched the back of his head.

"But it did work. Be happy with that, pal." Akira reassured his teammate.

"WOOOOOOT! Looks like the flashyness is just increasing by the minute! How is Team Bloom Trigger gonna retaliate? Give us a good show!" The island's excitement was reaching higher levels.

"1 to 2! C'mon, ladies!" Morgana wished that his words were understood by the girls, but all they heard from the cat was meowing, much to his dismay.

"For now, we may be allies. But I will be the main lead in the female cast! Did you hear that right?" Noel said with her determination building up gradually. She jumped and served the ball.

Ryo punched the ball upward so that Akira could slap it with force towards Team Bloom Trigger's field.

Arle was quick enough to pass the ball to Terra before it could touch the floor. The emerald-haired girl the passed it to Noel, who jumped and prepared her swing... She slapped the ball so hard that, instead of a slap, the sound of a bullet shooting reverbrated, making the ball glow with yellow energy. The force of the swing made the ball land hard on the floor, giving no chance for the boys to slap it back.

"Beauty does not lie simply in a woman's body!" Noel exclaimed while the wind made her golden hair flow with it.

"2 to 2! This is getting rad!" Morgana was also beginning to get excited by watching the ladies show their skill.

"What a comeback! Looks like the bullets are gonna fly with Ms. Vermillion's fury! She's starting to get serious, boys and girls! Do something to quell her wrath, Leblanc!" The island's voice was now expressing frantic excitement.

"The island's right. She getting scary now." Sora was taken aback by Noel's determination growing inside her.

After both teams gave their best shots, they were now doing a tie-breaker. The score was at 6-6, and everyone's foreheads were sweating, with Noel excerting the most effort, for one reason: she had in her mind the idea of becoming the best female protagonist that ever existed.

"It's time." Akira muttered.

"Time to settle this. I'll come out on top!" Noel shouted as she served the ball.

Shulk was quick enough to pass the ball to Ryo, who then passed it to Akira, who then jumped and, to show his team's collective spirit, decided to perform his combined technique.

"You're mine!"

The thief engulfed the ball in dark energy, channeling the power of his Persona, Arsene, and shot it to the other side of the field.

Arle made a swift motion and slapped the ball before it could touch the ground, but the force of Akira's shot left her immobile for a few seconds. Nonetheless, Noel pushed upwards with her arms and passed it to Terra, who also decided to perform a special technique.

"O, perfect light...!"

Terra engulfed the ball in a holly white light, then shot it upwards to the sky that made the ball do a twinkle effect... After a few seconds passed, the ball returned, making its rapid descent while leaving behind a trail of white light. The boys failed to be quick enough to get the ball, thus being unable to prevent it from touching the floor, in which a holly pillar of light bursted, pushing sand everywhere.

"Sorry. It had to be done." Terra turned back, bracing with her left hand her right arm as if she expressed retraction.

"7 to 6! You were amazing, Lady Terra!" Morgana exclaimed in excitement, only being understood by his wide open smile.

 _Dissidia AC/NT Music - Victory Fanfare (Heroes)_

"There you have it, boys! The beauty of Team Bloom Trigger has captivated us with their victory! A round of applause, if you're so kind!" The island was clearly expressing its satisfied voice.

"We won! Thanks for your help! You too, Carby!" Arle pumped up a fist and raised it in a victorious manner.

"Gu gu guu!" Carbuncle jumped, joining the little celebration in joy.

"I couldn't have done this without all of you." Terra decided to look back to her team, rejoicing in a small smile.

"I am not who I used to be." Noel gazed into the horizon, letting the wind blow her hair.

 _*Music stops*_

"We must've pissed her off with all that talk, I guess." Akira looked down to the floor in defeat.

"At least our efforts paid off. We managed to work as a team." Shulk tried to reassure his teammates.

Ryo stretched his arms tiredly, feeling exhausted after the long match. "Oooof, I'm thirsty. Where can I get some water?"

"For our thirsty customers, we have a few springs down dere in da forest of palm trees over dere. Try not to get lost, please." The island's voice expressed a small concern.

"Thanks, wierd island. I'll be on my way."

With that, Ryo began his little expedition into the unknown tropical resort that were the Contending Isles.

Contending Isles - Inner Jungle

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - Phantom Forest_

Ryo entered the leafy ecosystem that the island had to offer. By noticing the positions of the bushes, ferns and palm trees, he found a pattern that felt a bit too familiar to the half-naked Lucario.

"Let's see... They make a path over here, they spread into an open area... Oh no, please. Is this another one of those Mystery Dungeons?"

"Well, a host must keep their guests entertained, but don't get mad at me, okay? I just wanted you tah feel at home, you know? You goin' with dah flow, man?" The island tried its best to sound kind.

"Look. I don't like Mystery Dungeons because they're long and make me hungry faster than you can say "I'm done for" when there's an enemy right in front of you. Go into one of them if you don't believe me, mister." Ryo sounded a bit frustrated, but nonetheless, kept moving to his destination.

"Okay, I'll be waiting for ya, kiddo." Unbeknownst to the island, the word "kiddo" made Ryo feel like a memory was trying to reach him. Nonetheless, he kept going.

Little did the human-turned-Lucario know that he was being watched from a distance.

Ryo was walking through a few paths that went straight, curved to one side, and he also found wide-open spaces that would be considered "rooms" if he was in a cave dungeon, which had the occasional item that would be of great use later on. The items he found were a variety of berries lying on the floor, each having a different healing effect, tropical fruits (which the Lucario thought as the island's version of his homeworld's apples), wands, of all things, that could cast different effects to an enemy, turqoise orbs that could cast area-of-effect spells if used, like immobilizing or confusing all enemies in a room; heck, even a few tiles were on the floor, like the occasional "Wonder Tile" that returned one's stats back to their base state, and a few traps hidden in the soil.

Overall, Ryo had no doubt about one fact: he was inside a "Mysterious Dungeon".

There were also the small encounters with the native wildlife of the island... and Ryo had all the right to ask something.

"Did you really bring these Pokémon here, mister island?!"

"It would be boring just to see you go without a little excercise, so here you go for some warm-up sessions. Don't get mad at me, lad, I'm just doing my job to keep you entertained." The island's voice sounded like it had no concern.

"Okay, at least I can show you how I fight." Ryo prepared to battle against the enemy Pokémon that were standing in his way.

Among them was what looked like a gray butterfly with an exotic sun design in its orange-and-blue wings. Ryo identified the butterfly as a Vivillion with the knowledge he had of his homeworld. He would be in a loss if he just attacked it with sheer force, so he went with an attack that wouldn't weaken itself thanks to the elements that the insect possessed.

"I just hope I get the bonus with this." Ryo extended the spike on his right hand into a claw and slashed the opposing Vivillion. The enemy retaliated by sending a violent gust of wind that slashed the human-turned-Lucario, dealing moderate damage to his half-naked self. He then decided to tense his right paw into a fist covered in a layer of steel, punching his target to finish it off.

Then he was approached by what looked like a yellow tick with blue eyes and fuzzy fur. Ryo identified his next enemy as a Joltik.

"(Oh no, the cute guys always get me. But I don't have time to cuddle it.)"

Meanwhile...

Contending Isles - Shore

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Destiny Islands_

"Well, what do we do next?" Noel was looking into a list of the previously mentioned events that appeared on the sand.

"How about if we smash the watermelon? It can be fun!" Akira suggested.

"That sounds cool!" Arle agreed to the idea of cracking open a watermelon.

"Okay, then. Watermelon it is!" Noel came to a quick decision.

A few moments later...

 _Final Fantasy VII Music - Electric de Chocobo  
_

There was a large watermelon in the middle of the field. From a small distance away, Terra was giving out directions to Sora, who was blindfolded and holding a heavy stick.

"A little bit to the left, Sora! There, there. Hey, don't go there! It's a few inches away now! Closer... Closer... Now swing!"

Sora slammed the stick downwards, but he only managed to cause a small dent on the watermelon's surface.

"Okay, my turn." Akira stepped forward and grabbed the stick from Sora's hand. He got into position a few meters away from the watermelon and got blindfolded. Noel was now giving out directions.

"You better do this right! I really want that spotlight! Okay, turn left and take two steps forward. Now three steps to the right... Now keep going... You're hot! Swing! ...Wait, not like that!"

Akira swung from his right, missing the watermelon by a few milimeters below. He clumsily fell to the sand face-down as a result.

"Looks like I'm next." Shulk stepped forward and took the stick into his hands, having been blindfolded after taking a position a good distance away. The one who decided to guide him was Arle.

"I hope I get this right." Arle had a smile that expressed nervousness. "Umm... Go forward. Oh, good. Now go to your left. Hey, where are you going? The watermelon is behind you! Now go to the right. Stop right there. Now go forward a little. You're good to go!"

Shulk swung hard, but he only managed to hit empty air thanks to Arle forgetting about telling him to turn to the right direction.

"Not to be rude, but, do you even know how to guide someone?" Akira shook his head in disbelief.

"Oops. I need more practice..." Arle sweatdropped with a bright look that showed embarassment.

As the game went on, a certain "topless" Pokémon reached his destination after enduring a few battles against the local wildlife.

 _*Music stops*_

Contending Isles - Inner Jungle

Ryo arrived at the spot that the island indicated him: a round pond that was as deep as a pool, being filled by the waterfalls in the background. He entered and felt the cold water freshen him, making the "shirtless" Lucario feel relaxed.

"(It feels so good. I kinda forgot how refreshing it feels to get soaked.)"

" _Yaaay! I finally found you!_ "

Ryo's ears perked up after listening to a voice echoing from the distance.

"Who's there? You better show yourself! I'm not afraid of attacking if you're an enemy, so come on o-!"

He was interrupted when a blurr glomped him into the water. A few seconds after, he came back to the surface, being cuddled by a Pokémon that was rubbing its cheek against his. Ryo recognised its appearance. The blue skin, the triangular frog-like head, the pointy appendages on the back of its eyes, the padded three-fingered hands, the immensely long tongue that was wrapped around the mouth area like a scarf... Yup, Ryo recognized his assailiant as a Greninja. He also noticed something else.

"(Huh? What's that little bump on its chest? It looks like... What do they call it? ...Oh, bosom, I think. Wait! That means...)"

Ryo's eyes went wide and blank after the realization.

"(This Greninja is a **GIRL**?!)"

 _Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon Music - Treasure Within Your Heart_

"Yay! You're mine now!"

Indeed he was right. The Greninja's voice, heard only by Ryo and no one else, sounded womanly and youthful.

"Get off me already!" Ryo pushed the amphibian Pokémon away from her grasp. "And what do you mean with "I finally found you"?"

"Well, I thought I saw a Pokémon that looked odd, so I followed it, and I saw it was talking to someone invisible, since, you know, aren't you supposed to sense auras or something? You're a Lucario, after all. Well, I was saying; I saw what it was doing and it fought real good against those cuties!"

"Okay, you can stop now, I've heard enough."

"Then I saw it was you! How can you fight so well? And what's with that bag there?"

"Oh, this?" Ryo took a glance at the bag that he was carrying. "It's something I always have with me. Anything wierd about it?"

"Pokémon aren't supposed to carry bags, you know?"

"(Hope she believes me in this one.) That's because I used to be human, so it would make sense for me to know how to use it like anyone would."

The Greninja's eyes widened in shock upon hearing the simple fact.

" _ **WHAT!?**_ You're kidding!"

"(Knew it.)" Ryo sweatdropped, his ears drooping.

The Greninja's pupils then became straight horizontal lines,expressing a certain comedic happiness.

"No way am I gonna believe something like that! It only happens in those wierd stories people put up on the Internet!"

Ryo tilted his head in confusion, asking one small question.

"What's that?"

The Greninja's pupils became normal once she heard that question. "Huh? You don't know what the Internet is? Where do you come from, anyway, from a farm? You're a silly one, mister Lucario."

"(I hope she believes this next one.) That's because I have amnesia... again."

"That makes sense. How did you lose your memories?"

"We can talk about that later, okay? And I have a name, by the way. I'm Ryo, and you better remember it well, little miss Greninja."

The Greninja's eyes expressed a small irritation. "Hey, I have a name, too! Call me Kazumi."

Ryo stepped back in surprise. "I thought that all Pokémon referred to themselves by their species' name. Why do you have a wierd name like that?"

Kazumi's pupils became horizontal lines. "My teacher gave me that name."

"Wait, what? Who?"

"Oh! I guess I forgot to tell you about that. Truth is, I come from a wonderful region called Kalos! It's an amazing place!"

Ryo couldn't put it into words at the moment, but he knew he was a Magikarp out of water when his thoughts couldn't know about this Kalos region. Thus he phrased his words the best he could.

"I'm sorry, but... I don't know what you're talking about."

Kazumi's happy eyes remained unchanged for the remainder of the conversation. "I knew you came from a farm, silly! Oh, wait, you told me you forgot about it all, right? So, just tell me, where do you even come from, anyway?"

 _*Music stops*_

" _Target acquired. Beginning confrontation..._ "

Ryo's ears perked up at the sound of a familiar robotic voice, turning around to see the familiar enemy...

"Blanks..."

Kazumi stared in confusion. "What?"

"Take cover!"

Just as Ryo said that, a thunderous explosion came from above, clearly a product of the Blank that tried to ambush its target.

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - The 13th Struggle_

"GAAAH!" Ryo, along with his new temporary teammate, Kazumi the girly Greninja, couldn't find enough time to get out of the water to avoid the electricity spreading all over it and electrifying them both.

"Oowww! Hey! Don't crack your sparks over my water! Dis island is sensitive, ya know?" The island was also hurt from the electric explosion, but not as much as the Pokémon that were about to fight the Blank that was drawing closer.

Once Ryo and Kazumi got out of the water, they both saw their enemy float above the pool. It was another Phantasmal Girl, the Blank copy of Terra Branford. The Blank's eyes focused on the girly Greninja.

" _New target in sight. No information available in database. Analyzing... Analysis complete. Subject name: Kazumi; Stats: Extremely high speed, decent attack, low defense; No code found; Danger level: 7. Preparing precautions. Target identified as a strong threat. Initiating confrontation..._ "

Ryo looked at his female teammate. "Okay, Kazumi, you better be careful and listen to me. Got it?"

Kazumi nodded in acknowledgement. "Right!" Before she could make her first move, though, she moved her hands towards her wrapped tongue-scarf. "But first I need to make some adjustments. Don't wanna have this get in the way of my attacks." She proceded to unravel her tongue, which was now touching the soil before retracting into her mouth, revealing a friendly smiling mouth.

"(I think she looks better like that. Wait, what am I thinking?)" Ryo simply stared before saying something. "Are you really different from most Greninja? I've seen them with that tongue all the time, but this is my first time seeing one who just wants to show its face."

"Ya know, you need to keep your manners unspoiled." Kazumi expressed a carefree personality in her eyes.

"Discipline, in other words, right?" Ryo looked back towards the ruby-colored Blank, taking a serious expression. "Let's show this thing what we got!"

"Yeah! Time to have fun!" A body of water, morphing into a sharp blue katana, materialized in Kazumi's hands before she took her fighting position: standing straight with her left hand on her hip and her right hand grasping the sword.

The fight began with Ryo jumping straight ahead with fists ready. The Blank shot a few fireballs at its target, who recieved them in full, being pushed back to the floor.

"I thought you had it there. Oh well..." Kazumi charged to one side, her hands and feet grasping into a nearby wall. "Over here, crystal freak!" The Phantasmal Girl turned to see its new target before witnessing her swift disappearance. "How about we play Hide 'n' Seek? If you hit me first, you win."

Ryo got back up and jumped towards the Blank, fully intending to perform his attack.

 **Extreme Speed**

The Blank was caught off-guard by Ryo's great speed, recieving in full every swift strike he had to offer before the attacker landed back to the ground.

"Hey, Kazumi! Now might be a good time to strike!"

"Aye aye, cap'n!"

 **Quick Attack**

The girly Greninja appeared in front of the enemy with such speed that her sword made a powerful cut that left a good mark. She then landed on the watery surface without causing a splash, but she landed on the surface as if it was a solid layer of floor.

"Who's in for crystal sashimi?"

The Blank was still holding its strength, not yet finished. It casted another powerful spell.

" _Elimination of targets underway._ "

 **Tornado**

The Phantasmal Girl spun around, casting three small windy vortexes around it that attracted the heroic fighters, who were resisting the pulling force. There was an unfortunate individual among the two who got pulled in: the girly Greninja.

"Oh no! I gotta get her outta there before she gets hurt." Ryo focused, gathering power in his palms before releasing a small burst that hit the Blank, but the windy vortexes seemed to act as a barrier protecting their caster.

The vortexes fused together, forming a tornado that enveloped the Blank before dissipating with a pushing force. After the attack ended, the enemy noticed the strange presence of a plushy that looked like a small green reptile with a happy expression.

"Like what you see?" The girly voice of Kazumi was heard from a distance. She was found at least two meters away from the Blank's position. "There's more from where that came from." The Greninja's palms grasped her hips for one second, then joined to create an expanding body of water that morphed into a four-pointed blue star.

 **Water Shuriken  
** Info: Deals 3-5 hits of water damage. Has ranged properties. Damage dealt is proportional to the physical attack of the user

"You thirsty, pal?" Kazumi smiled while throwing her projectile and hitting the Blank square in the face. "Have some more! I've got plenty!" She threw a second one, which also hit home. While she prepared her last shot, she looked at Ryo. "Hey! How about you help me with the last hit? You know how to throw those blue energy balls, right?"

"I guess I can try." Ryo put his palms together and waited for the attack to be charged...

...But he felt nothing.

"(Huh? Am I supposed to charge a projectile in my hands?)"

"If you're not gonna shoot, I'll do it then." Kazumi proceded to throw her last shuriken towards the Blank, finishing her assault.

"(What is wrong with me?)"

His thoughts were interrupted by another fireball from the Phantasmal Girl hitting him in the face, pushing him to the floor.

" _Target's hostility seems to have decreased._ "

Ryo got back up and returned to the battle while one more thought crossed his mind.

"(I wonder how the others are doing.)"

Contending Isles - Shore

" _Target acquired. Commencing approach..._ "

"Why are there Blanks over here? How did they find us?" Noel was backing away from a few Blanks that were surrounding the Bearers of Hope. Specifically, they were surrounded by a Nonexistent Key (a sapphire copy of Sora), an emerald copy of Arle known as a "Breakable Adventurer", two Successor Replicas (sapphire copies of Noel), and another new Blank: one that resembled Riku, with a sapphire body, known as a "Nonexistent Shadow".

"(At least the island was good enough to let me fight.)" Morgana was now back to his cartoony form, carrying his sword over his shoulder. "That's not important. All we have to do is beat them down!"

"Hey, wierd talking island! We can use our powers here, right?" Akira was considering his choice of summoning his Persona while still wearing his swimming shorts.

"Yeah, it's okay, buddy. You guys aren't defenseless, after all, so I'll give ya da benefit of beating the crap outta dat stuff, ya hear?" The island seemed to agree with the idea of a good quarrel between heroes and minions.

"Alright, then. Persona!" Akira took off his glasses just as he would have done if he wore his mask and summoned Arsene into the battlefield.

"Let's go!" Sora made his Keyblade appear in his hand, swinging it towards the Blanks that were in his way.

"Bolverk!" Noel also summoned her guns into her hands and went for a physical attack towards one of the Successor Replicas.

 **Assault Through**

She spun around, moving forward all the while and getting behind the enemy, pushing it away with her shoulder.

Terra decided to approach the enemies more delicately, befitting for her since she did not want to overexhert herself much. She fired spheres of light towards the Nonexistent Shadow in hopes of finishing it off.

Shulk went for the other Successor Replica, which had its back turned to him, and went for the sneaky approach he was so accostumed to.

 **Back Slash**

He jumped forward and swung the Monado hard to strike the enemy good and deal great damage, pushing it away.

As for Sora...

 **Ars Arcanum**

It was afe to say he was feeling at home beating his own copy with swift strikes from his Keyblade.

"I'm worried about Ryo, though." Terra expressed her concerns while firing a chunk of ice towards the Breakable Adventurer, with Arle and Carbuncle dealing their own ice spell in kind. "I hope he comes back soon."

Contending Isles - Inner Jungle

"This is getting real long now." Kazumi kept dodging the spells that the Phantasmal Girl was casting. Ryo was in the background attempting to find a good attack that would finish the quarrel.

And he found it.

"Then it's time I put this battle to an explosive finale!"

 **Close Combat**

Ryo went forward and rushed the Blank with rapid punches that overwhelmed it with no sign of stopping. Once the last punch was dealt, the Blank shattered, giving away the end of the confrontation.

 _*Music stops*_

Kazumi walked towards the messy Lucario with sparkling eyes. "Woah! You must be like those buff men in cartoons! They deal fast punches like the ones you made, but with more style!"

"Cartoons?" Ryo tilted his head questioningly.

"Oh, sorry. I keep forgetting that you forgot all of that." The girly Greninja put a hand on the back of her head with her pupils forming a horizontal line.

"(Just how much have I forgotten about being human? Well, this looks like a good time to ask.) Then tell me, Kazumi. What does your world have?"

"Kalos is an amazing region with an architecture that makes it look like it came from a fantasy story. It also has a big city with this huge tower that is also a gym, some restaurants where the waiters send their Pokémon to fight before you can eat ─which is pretty wierd if you ask me─, a TV station, and don't get me started on the shady café over there."

"Um... Uh... You can stop now. You don't need to tell me anything. I know nothing about what you're saying." Ryo could not feel so unfamiliar now. City? TV? Café? Waiters sending out Pokémon for a fight? Just how much of a contrast was that world showing to his?

"Now it's your turn to tell me about your world."

"Well, how can I put it? I don't know if you'll believe me knowing how you reacted when I told you I used to be a human, but I'll go with it anyway." Ryo took a deep breath and let the words out of his mouth. "Let's just say I woke up in a different planet with this form."

"Then that makes you an alien!" Kazumi then moved swiftly with her sword almost touching Ryo's neck, the latter having a startled expression. "Are you here to kidnap me? Are you gonna do your wierd stuff and start an invasion?"

"Didn't I tell you I was a human?" Ryo was getting a little angry now.

"Oh, yeah, sorry." Kazumi dropped her stance.

"Now, about my world..." Ryo took a deep breath, trying to find in him some calm before explaining. "It's a planet where only Pokémon live, and there's a town over there. It's not as advanced as where you say you come from, since the Pokémon live with the nature of the world."

"Oh. So you live in a planet with only Pokémon, huh? Can I go there sometime?" Kazumi was quick to shake her head as she reconsidered her choice. "No, wait, you say it's another planet, so I wouldn't know how to get there aside from riding a rocket to space."

"Reach for the stars if you want. I don't know how I got there either. I just woke up there." Ryo turned around as he was reminded of something. "Oh, I think I gotta go back to my friends. Don't wanna miss any more events at the beach. See ya!" With that, he was off.

"Hey! Wait!" Kazumi started going after the Lucario. "I didn't ask why you were missing fur!"

Contending Isles - Shore

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - The 13th Reflection_

"Don't stand in our way!" Morgana summoned his Persona, Zorro, to deal a swift sword slash to the Successor Replica that remained, shattering it to pieces.

"Ravage them!" Akira commanded Arsene to slash the Nonexistent Shadow with his claws, dealing a good amount of damage.

"Here we go!" Arle casted a lightning bolt from above, shocking the Breakable Adventurer while Carbuncle fired a laser beam from the gem on his forehead.

"Guu, gu gu gu!"

"Ryo, how long until you come back?" Terra was still worried about the human-turned-Lucario's whereabouts while she helped Sora by firing a series of thunderbolts that closed in on the Nonexistent Key. The Keyblade child did one last swift motion with his weapon, defeating the enemy at last once it shattered.

"Just a little more, guys!" Noel casted a glyph over the Nonexistent Shadow, shooting a bullet and shattering the aforementioned Blank into nothingness.

"Hey, everyone! Sorry to keep you waiting." Ryo finally made his presence from the vegetation behind everyone present. "Oh, there's more Blanks here, too? I'm in for some punching, then!" As he exclaimed those words, he jumped into action now that he saw a Cognitive Thief appear in the vicinity.

Kazumi was observing the kerfuffle from behind the ferns of the vegetation. She noticed a good number of humans among the fighters, and that fact surprised her quite a lot. She always considered humans weak simply because they did not interfere in the battles she participated in or observed back in her home region of Kalos. She also saw that they were using weapons, such as swords, knives and guns, which looked like huge toys to the Greninja's eyes. One of them was also firing different elemental projectiles; she could not believe that she was witnessing a young woman releasing attacks that looked like a similarity to the moves a Pokémon would normally use. She wanted to ask them in person how they were capable of doing such feats with no problem, but she knew the one disadvantage to Pokémon: their words could never be understood by other people. Thus she waited until the fighting would cease.

"Hey, Shulk! Mind if you finish this with a bang?" Ryo called out, keeping the Cognitive Thief occupied.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Shulk held a tight grip on his sword, channeling its power.

 **Monado Buster**

The Monado's ethereal sharpness elongated greatly, but it did not add any additional weight to itself. Shulk brought it down to finish the final enemy with one quick slash to the ground, kicking up sand and halving the Blank, which shattered at last.

 _*Music stops*_

With all the Blanks shattered, the Bearers of Hope rejoiced, finding the time to relax again.

Of course, the island's voice was impressed at the sight of the battle.

"Incredible! I have never seen such teamwork from a collective force like you! It's simply amazing! Entertaining! You all deserve to be the main hero! I mean, heroe **s**. You catch my drift, yeah? Okay! Now, enjoy your day here at the Contending Isles! It's your reward for getting rid of those crystal wierdoes."

Kazumi was, in the background, dumbstruck with wide blank eyes.

"(Did I hear something just now? Am I going crazy?)"

For the remainder of the day, the Bearers of Hope were enjoying their fun time amongst themselves, relaxing under the sun with their swimsuits (Ryo had to explain to Kazumi that he got his upper body fur shaved off by the pair of thieves that were Akira and Morgana). Once Kazumi made her presence known, Ryo had to introduce her to his companions, translating every croak that the Bearers of Hope heard from the Greninja's unintelligible words, which only the human-turned-Pokémon could understand. They did enjoy making sand castles on the shore and taking a dip in the ocean's water.

In the end, they enjoyed the whole day at the Contending Isles.

...But it did not end for three individuals who found a perfect spot to gaze at the setting sun, the fresh breeze cooling their faces and mesmerizing them in the scenery.

Contending Isles - Atop the Falls

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Roxas_

Sora was sitting on the rocky floor atop of the waterfall that the island had, gazing at the sunset. Something inside him resonated, and he felt something along the lines of "melancholy" and "missing someone". He wasn't alone, though.

Ryo was sitting by Sora's right side, gazing upon the bright sunset. He didn't know why, but he felt homesick when he looked at the orange sky, seeing the clouds pass by with their golden outlines glowing.

Kazumi laid on Ryo's lap from his right, fixing her sight at the setting sun in front of them. She felt relaxed when seeing such artistic views that would only exist in paintings and feeling the wind blowing against her face, cooling her.

Ryo was the first one to notice something odd in Sora: he felt like there was another person in his heart, emanating melancholic vibes that he could feel. He said something to the Keyblade hero in that regard, looking at him.

"Uh, Sora? Why do you feel so sad? It's not like you to cry. You're always happy."

"I don't know..." Sora kept his gaze fixed on the sun while he answered. "Maybe it has to do with Roxas. I think there are a few memories that can explain that. They're not mine, though, because I know I never went there. If there's a memory that I regained that can help, it must have something to do with Roxas."

"Who's this Roxas guy? His name sounds really wierd." Kazumi butted in the conversation, not wanting to feel left out.

Sora answered the Greninja's question, hearing a translation from Ryo. "He's a friend of mine... living inside my heart. I can feel him."

"What? How is that even possible? Is there a world inside you or did you do something to him, like, assimilation?"

"Kazumi, please listen. I don't want you to get the wrong idea, okay?" Ryo said with a sigh, finding the girly Greninja's words silly but unrealistic.

Sora did his best to explain with the little memories he had. "All I can tell for sure is that we met one time and had a small fight, but we became good friends afterwards. I feel his pain. He's... missing the sunset."

Ryo gazed at the sunset while he gave out his words. "You know, I also feel something now that I'm looking at the sunset. Something in my memory wants to break into my thoughts. There's a lot in my mind trying to be remembered right now, but it's all hazy."

"Relax, buddy. It'll come out someday, so don't think too much about it." Kazumi glanced at the Lucario's crimson eyes for a bit before returning to stare at the setting sun.

"I wonder how Roxas would feel if he was here." Sora's thoughts were gathering up an idea. "Hey, I got it. When I return to my world, I'll think of a way to free Roxas and make him enjoy his life like any other person. It's a promise."

Ryo smiled at Sora's suggestion. "That sounds nice. If you can find a way to get Roxas out to the world, then maybe I can be friends with him, just like I am your friend, Sora. That can make him happy."

"Yeah. I hope so." Sora smiled. He was an optimistic child who always saw the good side of everything, after all, and Roxas' situation can't be any different. "One day, when we win against Tsukuyomi, all of our friends will be gathered in one place."

"I'm looking forward to it. And that includes my friends, and everyone else's pals from other worlds. We'll make the biggest friend circle ever." Ryo had a toothy smile as he said those words.

"Don't forget about me and my buddies!" Kazumi exclaimed as her pupils became horizontal lines, expressing joy.

"Yeah." Sora kept his hopes high. "We'll make the biggest team ever."

 **Sora's and Ryo's bond has strengthened a lot!**

 **Through a fateful meeting, Kazumi has been added to Ryo's Companion's Call!**

As the sun finally hid beyond the horizon, the scene faded black.

 _"You can't turn on the Organization! You get on their bad side and they'll destroy you!"_

 _"No one would miss me..."_

 _"That's not true! ...I would..."_


	15. An Author's Akward Request

Pardon the interruption, but the author wishes to see an artist make a picture portraying Ryo (this story's human-turned-Lucario hero of Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon) after having his top body fur shaved by Akira Kurusu (Joker from Persona 5), revealing a layer of blue and making him look like he's wearing a pair of swimming shorts. And don't forget to add blue strands of messy fur on the forehead so that he looks like a teen. It's not much, but he believes that such a task can be accomplished.

On the subject of making pictures in art sites, he also thought about another favor. He wants to see if an artist can draw an epic portrait featuring at least five of the heroes featured in this tale. He wants the following:

-Terra Branford from Final Fantasy VI  
-Noel Vermillion from BlazBlue  
-Sora from Kingdom Hearts  
-Akira Kurusu (Joker) and Morgana (Mona) from Persona 5  
-Ryo (Lucario) from Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon

That would be all.

Without further bothering intermissions, enjoy the chapter.


	16. Ori: The Will Of The Forest

Realm of Genesis

The light of the stars shining above the night sky was always a wonderful sight for anyone and everyone, especially with the crescent moon glowing above.

Of course, being night already, the Bearers of Hope were sleeping in the Inn of Resting in their respective rooms.

...All, but one: Ryo.

He couldn't find the time to rest, all because he wanted to gaze upon the stars of the realm. The light they were giving was reconforting, as well as the beauty that the crescent moon was showing.

"(All those stars... One of them has to be a world out of our reach... If that was the case, then I might even be looking at that same planet, where my adventure began. How long until I go back there?)"

Shortly after his thoughts finished, he saw an unusual event.

"(Oh, look! That's a shooting star, isn't it? In that case... My wish is to strengthen the connections I have with my new friends here.)"

More unusual was seeing that same shooting star descend in a straight line towards the ground.

"Wait a sec... Is it going straight down? Woah! I better get there quick!" With those wordds spoken, Ryo sprinted towards the meadow outside the town.

Realm of Genesis - Meadow of Beginnings

 _Ori and the Blind Forest Music - Ori, Lost in the Storm_

Among the clouds of the night sky, something that looked like a white-blue spark made its appearance, falling towards the flowers on the grass of the meadow. Ryo caught sight of it and ran as fast as his Lucario legs could carry him, with the intention of grasping the light in his hands.

"(If there's someone there, I'll make sure they don't get hurt! I'm coming for you, little buddy!)"

With the wind blowing against his face, the child-turned-Pokémon kept rushing.

The light was mere centimeters from touching the ground, prompting Ryo to jump with arms extended in front of him, catching it just in the nick of time and sighing in relief afterwards.

"(It kinda felt like saving an egg from breaking. Boy, that was... Huh?)"

A brief flash from the light revealed a form that Ryo was not familiar with: it was a being of white light, giving off a blue glow, with pointy and floppy ears, a head that was elongated horizontally with a tiny muzzle and a small nose, a thin build with lanky arms and small feet, and a tail. It had its eyes closed, signifying that it was asleep on the human-turned-Lucario's soft hands.

"(I gotta show this little guy to the others in the morning. They're gonna be amazed!)"

 _*Music ends*_

That morning...

Realm of Genesis - Fountain of Gathering

 _Final Fantasy VI Music - Awakening_

The heroes were gathered at the fountain, all called by Ryo, to see the being of light still sleeping. Everyone was curious at the sight that was in front of them.

"What is that?" Akira was the first one to speak.

"I don't know. I found it last night when I thought I saw a shooting star." Ryo scratched his head.

"Whatever it is, I think it won't hurt us." Shulk was the most curious of all, him being a fanatic of investigating different ecosystems.

"Why would you think something so cute could attack us?" Noel stepped forward, kneeling down to observe the being of light closely. "Just look at it. Isn't it precious?"

The being openned its eyes, revealing them as two big black beads. Then it gazed at the individuals in front of it, expressionless.

"About time the little guy woke up." Akira took one step forward, taking a closer look.

 _*Music stops*_

" _Oh! Ori! There you are!_ "

Everyone present was startled at the sound of a little girl's voice talking from a distance.

"Did anyone hear an accent that sounded kinda like Shulk's?" Akira looked around for the source of the voice.

"Well, I feel like there's a small person somewhere." Ryo looked around until he pointed at the town's entrance. "Over there! Do you see that white ball floating there? That must be it!"

Everyone turned to look at the town's entrance to see a floating sphere of light making its approach towards the fountain. To everyone's surprise, they heard a little girl's voice coming out of the sphere.

" _Pardon for the intervention. Surprising you was not my intention._ "

"What the heck?!" Noel jumped back in surprise, while everyone else either had wide eyes or were at a loss for words.

 _Persona 5 Music - My Homie_

"Uh... Hello? Little white ball, thingy?" Akira just stood there, having no other means to adress the talking sphere.

" _Greetings. I am known as Sein, and I have come to Ori find._ "

"Hey, you can rhyme? I think we're gonna have a good time!" Ryo butted in, coming up with a phrase of his own. "Yeah! Got one!"

"Then if you're here for this certain Ori person, and if you just said you found him, then where is he?" Terra asked the sphere of light known as Sein.

" _Right here, dear._ " The sphere hovered above the being of light that Ryo found that fateful night.

"Huh? That little guy is the Ori you're talking about?" Sora scratched his right cheek with an index finger, dumbfounded.

"Awww... I was already thinking of a name for it." Noel looked down to the floor, feeling defeated.

"Hey, Carby, I think you can make good friends with Ori!" Arle was simply thinking of a situation where Carbuncle and Ori could show some similarities if they fought together.

"Guu?"

"What's all the fuss about?" Morgana made his presence known, approaching the group in his cat form. "Aahhh, looks like we found ourselves the perfect pet for the team." He said to himself once he saw Ori.

However, Akira overheard those words. "Mona, please. We only need one pet. Just kidding. You wanna be a real boy, or whatever, after all."

"You and your jokes never cease to impress me, Joker. I guess you are more than a wild card."

" _I would like to hear introductions, with no exceptions. Now, if you may..._ " Sein was awaiting to hear the names of the Bearers of Hope.

One by one, they all introduced themselves briefly.

"I am Terra, and it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Noel Vermillion, reporting- No, wait, I wanted to say something else, but... Oh well..."

"Name's Sora. Hope we can be good pals."

"Akira. Call me Joker, though. And this is Mona."

"I am Ryo, and I can prove to you that I'm a hero! Geez, I gotta stop rhyming. Such bad timing."

"My name is Shulk."

"I'm so glad that I can meet a new face! I'm Arle, and this is Carby!"

"Gu guu!"

" _Very well. I have something to tell._ " All eyes were on Sein as the sphere's voice echoed. " _There is_ _something missing, as if something was hissing._ "

"What? You know, can you stop rhyming for one second?" Akira was confused at the phrasing of Sein's words.

" _In other words, there has to be a memory missing at its own accord._ "

"That sounds a bit better, but... In English, please."

"I think Sein's trying to tell us that she has amnesia too." Sora decided to intervene with his own interpretation of the aforementioned words.

"Genesis must have told us that the Blanks have our memories," Noel explained. "So the part about a memory being missing "at its own accord" might make sense, because they go from place to place."

" _Who might this Genesis be? And what are those Blanks that I don't see?_ " Sein questioned. Ori became curious, sitting up and moving its ears.

"Genesis is the goddess of order and the guardian of this world." Shulk moved a hand while he explained. "The Blanks are crystalized copies of ourselves, powered up by our memories. I think she also explained that if we defeat them, we can regain those memories. That's just a hypothesis, though."

" _Interesting._ "

"See? I knew you could talk without rhyming, you floating lightbulb." Akira smiled.

"Hey, man, don't be so aggresive." Ryo called out the thief.

"Guys!" Noel exclaimed. "We have a lot of time in our hands, so how about we have Ori with us? He can be our adorable pet! Besides Morgana and Carbuncle."

"That sounds good." Akira agreed. "First, let's feed him. What can we use?"

"I can cook him something delicious! I'll have to ask the restaurant's staff if they can let me in the kitchen, so, I'll be right back!"

With that, Noel sprinted off to the Glutton's Gallery's kitchen area.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Morgana said to himself.

Moments later...

Glutton's Gallery

 _BlazBlue Music - Mistletoe_

In one of the tables of the restaurant, Noel put a plate with the food she just cooked. There was one problem, however... The food did not look like food at all. It looked like an undescribable mess of death sitting on a plate.

"Ta-daaah! This is a specialty from house Vermillion! Eat up!"

Ori was on the table, staring at the unfriendly combination of messed-up ingredients with doubt. Some seconds passed, and the being of light did the best action that came to mind: run away from the deadly concoction.

"Hey, wait! Why are you running? It's not like the food's going to kill you!" Noel had a hand extended in front of her, as if she was trying to catch something, that was falling. She also had a face of disbelief.

"I can't refuse an offer coming from a fair maiden." Morgana jumped to the table and, without considering it, took a bite. His eyes went blank for one moment before collasing to the floor.

"At least Morgana knows how tasty my cooking is. Maybe he enjoyed it so much that he passed out." Noel's expression couldn't be any happier.

"(That food from hell might come in handy if we want the enemy to eat it.)" Akira thought up a simple strategy regarding Noel's cooking.

 **Obtained a new item!  
Death Dinner  
**Info: Coming from a witch with the guise of a pretty girl, this evil recipe will induce random status ailments to whoever consumes it.

"Hey! That description doesn't sound so nice!"

Sorry, Noel, but it had to be done for the joke to work. Anyways, moving on...

In the kitchen, the chefs were murmuring among each other, badmouthing Noel.

"What in the world did that witch make? That's not true cooking!"

"She would fail many a cooking tournament if she ever participated."

"We are all doomed if she hosts in her own cooking show!"

A little while later...

 _Persona 5 Music - Wicked Plan_

"Joker, are you sure about this?"

After Morgana recovered from the chloroform known as Noel's cooking, he went to the kitchen with Akira, who was now wearing a green apron.

"Do you even know how to cook?"

"Mona, trust me." He looked at his cat companion. "Something in my hazy memories tells me I have to remember how to be a pro at the cullinary department."

"Do you even know how to cook?"

"Whaddya think I'm gonna do? I'm gonna brew."

"Huh? Come again?"

"From what I can remember, I was working at a café in my free time after school. Oh, something's coming."

 _"If you agree to help me, then... I'll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee."_

"(I won't let you down, old man.)" Akira had his face lifted above.

"Joker, you copy?"

"I can hear you, Mona." He looked back to the working table he was standing in front of.

"Well then, let's begin. We need to choose our ingredients carefully. We're feeding a baby, after all."

Hearing Morgana's advice, Akira began to think.

"(Let's see... Coffee won't do any good. A blend sounds about right. And what better ingredients to mix than fruit. Let's try with...)"

 **-Oranges  
-Strawberries  
-Lemons  
-Mangoes**

"(Strawberries seem like a good way to sweeten the flavor. Lemons are sour, so that won't do any good. Let's try it.)"

After the now-barista hero went to grab the items from the nearby fridge, he sliced a few strawberries with a kitchen knife and put the pieces in a blender. He was not finished, though.

"(Next should be...)"

 **-Oranges  
-Lemons  
-Mangoes**

"(Oranges are quite nutritious. They could be perfect to keep the baby healthy, since they're rich in vitamin C. Yeah, I can go with that.)"

After grabbing more items from the fridge, he sliced a pair of oranges and squeezed hard to extract the juice, adding it to the blender nearby.

"(I think I can add one last fruit to the blend. How about...?)"

 **-Apples  
-Mangoes  
-Bananas  
-Pineapples**

"(An apple a day keeps the doctor away; that's what they always say... How about a pineapple, though? Sounds creative. Let's try with that.)"

Taking one last item from the storage, Akira peeled and sliced one pineapple into tiny pieces, adding them to the blender.

"(It won't hurt to add half a cup of sugar, right?)"

As the now-barista hero thought that, he went to grab a small plastic cup, fill it with sugar with the aforementioned amount and pour it in the blender.

"(No blend is complete without water.)"

Thus he went to grab a jar of water that one of the chefs handed to him and proceded to fill the blender. After it was filled enough, Akira put the lid on the blender and turned it on.

 _*WHIRRRR*_

After a few seconds passed, Akira turned of the blender and the result was a drink that looked decent, with a foamy pink color included. The first one that would taste the drink would be Morgana, as he recieved a portion in a small bowl. One lick was enough to make the black cat give his verdict.

"You'd make a great barista, Joker."

The comment gave Akira the reassurance he needed, knowing that if a cat like Mona could enjoy a traditional blend, Ori may as well enjoy it. So he went to grab a glass and filled it with the blend, walking to the table with the drink in hand.

"Okay, hope you like it."

Once Akira placed the glass on the table, Ori stared at the drink at different angles, not really knowing what to do. After a good moment of consideration, the being of light took a small sip... and felt a savory sensation in his mouth, prompting him to keep drinking.

"(Yeah, a successful first attempt. This could come in handy for the others.)"

 **Akira has now been granted access to the Glutton's Gallery's kitchen!  
He can now make special blends that will raise a party member's stats depending on the ingredients chosen.**

From the background, Noel's face had an expression of defeat.

"How is it possible? They run away from my food, but not from his blend? That's not fair..."

Also...

 **Akira felt like he has forged a bond with Ori!**

After finishing his drink, Ori just sat there, satisfied.

"So... what now?" Akira just shrugged, not knowing what to do next.

 _*Music stops*_

Ori, however, looked like he decided on his next course of action, jumping from the table and making haste out of the restaurant.

"What is he up to?" Morgana asked, coming out of the kitchen.

Perhaps they did not know, but Ori felt as if there was a call uttering his name from beyond.

Town of the Invited

Ori kept dashing, with Sein trailing behind, making their way to the stairs. This was not unnoticed, however, as Sora and Ryo ran to their direction.

"Sora, wait a sec!" Ryo stopped in his tracks, however, as he suggested something. "We need to prepare first. Let's buy some items."

A moment of paying for some potions and other healing items later...

"So, we're tagging along this time, eh?" Ryo said as he ran behind Sora, making their way to the stairs that would lead to Genesis' room.

"Yeah. Let's do our best!" Sora exclaimed as they began climbing the stairs into the sky above.

In the meantime, Akira, with Terra's aid, decided to learn a few spells at the local academy, while Arle, Carbuncle, Shulk and Noel decided to practice at the coliseum.

Meanwhile...

Realm of Tsukuyomi - God's Pad

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Organization XIII_

"Another child joins the battle..." The corvid god of destruction was perched on one of the branches of his tree throne, muttering to himself. "How can it be possible that my soldiers are being bested by mere children? Perhaps it was always destined to be as such... I am simply looking forward to the carelessness of one of them being their own undoing... That would be unfavorable for my dear Genesis and... to myself... But the events must play out as intended."

Turning around, he looked at a fellow bird, looking like a hybrid between an owl and a crow, with dark purple feathers and glowing blank eyes, devoid of any pupils.

"Kuro, was it? I trust that you will accomplish your task and take away any nuisance that stands in our path. As one of my units, I will look forward to your assignment's completion. You may now leave."

As an acknowledgment of those words, the dark flyer spread her wings and left the area. Once alone, Tsukuyomi muttered one last sentence to himself.

"Thus... Another Bearer of Hope begins his journey... A clash of nature and hatred is to be expected..."


	17. Light of Nibel

_Final Fantasy Music - The Prelude_

 _Ori, a spirit of the forest of Nibel,_  
 _child of the Spirit Tree,_  
 _began his adventure when his home began to decay._

 _With Sein's guidance, they both managed to restore life back to the forest_  
 _with some fond memories of that adventure being made..._  
 _...But they have been now taken away by someone._

 _Thus, he sets away into a new journey,_  
 _not only to find his Hope,_  
 _but to also take back the reminiscence he once had..._

 _The Spirit Tree, seeing its child missing in one stormy night,_  
 _called him back through its light,_  
 _but no answer came..._

 _The days went by, and the forest's life was slowly dying away;_  
 _trees dried, flowers withered, creatures starved..._  
 _Among the life that withered away was Ori's adoptive mother: Naru._

 _His journey began when the Spirit Tree saved him from death's door,_  
 _and with motivation renewed,_  
 _he set to restore the light that had been taken away by the darkness..._

 _*Music stops*_

 **Light of Nibel**

Nibel Forest - Spirit Tree

From a white portal that appeared in the vicinity, Ori and Sein came from it. They have been informed by Genesis that they would be facing dangerous enemies in their search for their Hope. Not that they would be defenseless, really.

" _This certainly feels strange, the air of this stage._ " Sein could feel something from the scenery they were in. It was a lonely open area with nothing but vegetation and a large tree in the background. " _This place looks familiar, yet... it feels quite different from our home. It feels like... a replicated setting..._ "

The musings were cut when the presence of Blanks became known. Two of them, a diamond copy of Ori known as a "Flickering Spirit" and a Serpent Replica, approached the small glowing light that was their target.

" _Well, then. Let us fight with our light._ "

Meanwhile...

Nibel Forest - Hollow Grove

Ryo jumped out of the white portal that appeared. He found himself in what seemed like a dry purple forest with a withered trunk standing in the middle of the field. He looked around.

"Huh? Where's Sora? Sora? Sora, come on out!"

When he looked down, he saw what looked like a lion cub with dark-brown fur, a white underbelly, white paws, a white muzzle, and familiar blue eyes, short brown spiky mane and chain necklace with a crown symbol.

"Wait... Sora?! Is that you?! What happened?"

It was indeed a surprise for Ryo to see Sora look like a small lion.

"Beats me. Maybe it's because we're in another world." Sora proved his point by summoning his Keyblade and grasping it between his fangs.

"Anyway, let's get going. We gotta find Ori before the little guy gets hurt."

The human-turned-Lucario's ears perked up when he heard a voice from a distance. He followed the sound, with Sora trailing behind. They found the source of the voice behind the withered tree, and it belonged to a dancing evil clown, none other than Kefka. He wasn't alone, however, as they saw a ruby Blank that looked just like the clown: a "Phantasmal Harlequin"; Terumi was there as well. They could hear the conversation they were having.

"Ohohoho, it looks so pretty! But it will never be as handsome as me!" Kefka was admiring his own copy a bit too much.

"It's just a little test. Don't get too excited." Terumi shrugged a bit. "Just be thankful that we managed to sneak away with this baby before leaving Tsukuyomi's ass behind." He looked around. "Now, how about we test it wiiiith..." He pointed to Ryo's and Sora's position as soon as he saw them. "...those two assholes over there? Hah! You got busted, bitches!"

The heroes stepped into view now that they had been discovered. Sora was the first one to ask something reasonable.

"How did you manage to get here without changing forms?"

"Must be Tsukuyomi's influence protecting us from changing into something like you." Terumi opened his arms with a wide psycothic smile. "But I wanna see how our newest test subject beats the shit outta your asses as you crumble into despair!"

Ryo was the next to talk. "Sora, you take care of the Blank and the creepy clown. I have some unfinished business with this monster."

"You're one to talk." Terumi brandished his daggers and dashed forward, beginning his clash with Ryo.

"There is no good fight without some tunes." Kefka snapped his fingers as if he knew what was coming.

 _BlazBlue Continuum Shift Music - Nightmare Fiction_

"Bring it on!" Sora began his fight against the evil clown and the copy.

Back with Ryo, he looked unusually serious, knowing that the others back at the town would question him for looking so angry. With that same serious expression, he said something characteristic of a clash between mortal enemies.

"I won't let you have it your way after what you did to Noel!"

"Oh? You're still angry about that? I simply did it to see if I could exploit her amnesia and look, it actually worked! I wonder if I can do it again. Or how about doing it to you?"

"You mean that you knew about her? Then what you said about Noel being a machine..."

"Yes, it was all true. Do you need another refresher course, you dumbass?"

"Hrrrr. You'll pay for this!"

Ryo felt a surge of power in him and, almost instinctively, fired a blue sphere of energy that the enemy dodged. He then dashed forward with fists ready, but the attack was also dodged. He got hit from behind with a harsh kick that pushed him forward.

For some reason, Terumi was... reminiscing. Very rare, coming from him.

"You know? You kinda remind me of this one guy I tormented a long time ago. He's just like you. Bold, rude, grumpy, and he also keeps growling like a rabid dog."

As Ryo stood back up, he turned to look at Terumi. "What are you talking about?"

"He also has an affinity for going apeshit if he sees poor little Kusanagi get hurt in front of him."

"Her name is Noel, goddamnit!" Ryo's eyes widened after he said that last word, prompting him to grab his mouth in shock. "(What am I saying?!)"

"Oooh, you really ARE like him. Don't be shy, hate me all you want. It feels so good." Terumi's smile didn't disappear for as long as he was enjoying the moment.

From the serpentine villain's perspective, he could see a familiar red silhouette that looked like a tall rogue warrior wielding a big sword. Even if the silhouette was transparent, he could see it only in his own vision, like a portrayal or an alternate interpretation.

"Shut your mouth up!" Ryo shouted, claws protruding from his hands.

In Terumi's vision, he could see figments of a past confrontation. Such hatred coming from someone so juvenile must have made him remember that one time he fought against a hero from his world.

Ryo moved his hands to slash Terumi rapidly, with the last strike pushing him away. He then tried going for a kick that went forward, but he missed. Terumi moved his hand swiftly with a dark ethereal snake appearing outward and hitting the Lucario into the dried tree.

Once Ryo regained his balance, he did his next move. He could not supress the anger he had due to being in the presence of Noel's tormentor, which ticked him off greatly. He slammed his fists to the floor in rage, unintentionally performing a strong attack in the process.

 **Earthquake**

The ground below began to shake uncontrollably, and cracks began to form a trail towards Terumi's feet. As they reached his feet, the cracks opened, and he failed to avoid being hurt by the shifting pieces of land that launched him upward.

All the while, in the background, Sora and the real and copycat clowns were having a big fight with magic.

"You got some bite, but can you handle this!?"

Terumi threw a pair of chains forward, but Ryo jumped above them, and advanced towards his enemy. His speed increased and performed the next attack.

 **Extreme Speed**

With swift dashes, every punch hit Terumi, with the last one pushing him to another part of the battlefield: the top of the withered tree in the middle.

"You won't get away, monster!" Ryo jumped high into the air and landed a few meters in front of the smug serpent.

" _Go on. Finish him off!_ "  
"(Who said that?)" Ryo frantically looked around to find someone, but he realized that the voice came from his mind. "(What was that voice just now? I-I better get going with the fight! I can't afford to lose!)"

"Heheheheh... How long are you gonna keep up with that face, pup? I wanna see it break into tears!"

 **Gleaming Fang**

Terumi faded for one second, then reappeared with a really fast attack that slashed Ryo upward without warning, with an ethereal snake trailing behind.

The blue Bearer of Hope was still enraged, feeling another surge of power in his mouth. "(Oh, man... It burns. Aaah!)"

 **Dragon Pulse**

Ryo opened his mouth wide, and a beam erupted from it, hitting Terumi in the chest and pushing him back.

"Woah! Did I just do that?" Ryo, even though he was fighting, was not always aware of his actions, however. "Well, whatever. Time to settle this!"

 **Close Combat**

The enraged Lucario dashed forward with his fists ready, punching the serpentine Bringer of Despair as rapidly as he could. The last punch sent the villain off from the platform and descended to the floor below.

"Damn, you're real pissed! But there will be more surprises waiting!" Terumi disappeared into a dark portal that he opened, and before it could close, Ryo shouted a last sentence.

"It's not over, you monster! I'll hunt you down until I make you disappear for good!"

 _*Music stops*_

"Gaaah! Wait for me! I don't wanna get left behind!" Kefka ran away into another dark portal, then he peeked his head back to look at the heroes. "You may have crushed my pretty mini-me, but you still haven't won. Buh-bye!" He waved a hand and retreated back into the portal before it closed.

"These guys must be crazy." Sora retreated his Keyblade as the fight was finished. Ryo jumped back to the floor, landing next to the now-lion Keyblade hero.

"Yeah. That's why the Blanks are a breeze." Ryo took a deep breath, then exhaled heavily, relaxing himself a bit. "Sorry, I just, uh, had to do that. Terumi is starting to get on my nerves."

Sora turned to look at him, noticing a certain frustration in his companion's face. "Try not to let him get to you, then. These Bringers of Despair are all despicable, sure, but don't strain yourself about them too much. Oh, I think I can help with how you feel."

"By that, you mean you can make me feel better. Is that right?"

"I hope so. Just hear me out, okay?"

 **Heart-to-Heart**  
 **Sora and Ryo: Toning Down Your Concerns**

 _BlazBlue Music - Pinky Promise_

"First, why did you get angry?"

"It was Terumi. He tormented Noel a while back by saying that she wasn't human in the first place."

"But he didn't do anything to hurt you, right?"

"No, but I felt provoked. It felt horrible seeing Noel break like that."

"Oh, now I see why you won't let him go for that. In that case, let me tell you..."

 **-"Don't let that affect you..."**  
 **-"I can help you with that."**

"Don't let that affect you. You can worry about it later."

"What do you mean?"

"You need to look at the good things. You wanna keep Noel safe, but I think you need to focus on our current task."

"In other words, you want to tell me that there's always another day when I can get Terumi to pay, right?"

"Yeah. There's always another chance, so don't be a sore loser."

"Sore lo-? Ah, I see where you're going."

 **Sora's bond with Ryo has strengthened greatly.**

"I always look at the bright side of things. That's why I keep smiling, even when we're in danger. Facing the Heartless and Nobodies is no big deal when you work with a team. So don't think you're gonna lose anytime soon; have some fun."

"Well, I wanted to have fun with this little adventure we're having, but the bad guys are getting in the way. But, you know, I think you're right. I'm pretty worried about the baddies doing their evil stuff that I kinda lost sight of the positive aspects of the journey. Thanks for reminding me about that."

"Oh, it's nothing. I couldn't ask for better friends."

Heart-to-Heart Results: Sora has managed to put Ryo back on the right track.

 _*Music ends*_

"So, shall we get going?" Ryo gave a friendly smile.

"Yeah." Sora nodded, agreeing. "Let's find Ori."

Back with said child...

Nibel Forest - Spirit Tree

 _Ori and the Blind Forest Music - Finding Sein_

Blanks kept appearing from all places around the area, making it seem like the two beings of light were in an arena. They were not defenseless, despite appearances, though.

 **Charge Flame**

Sein hovered forward and charged, and after a few seconds passed, she released the energy in a spherical radius, shattering all the Blanks that came into contact with the explosion.

" _This is the forest's light, and you will feel its might!_ " Sein's voice echoed, reaching the deaf ears of the crystal machines.

A few more Blanks came in, among them being a few Serpent Replicas and Nonexistent Keys, setting their sights on the beings of light and charging for the offensive. All of them were being disposed of fairly quickly, though, thanks in part to Sein's light bursts.

" _They may not be as slow as a snail, but they are still very frail._ "

Once all of the hostile beings in the vicinity were taken care of, Ori could see two approaching individuals from one of the far ends. They were coming to him.

Sora and Ryo came into view, seeing the glowing forms of Ori and Sein nearby.

"Hey!" Ryo greeted them, coming to a stop in his steps. "Glad to see you're okay."

"You're not hurt, right?" Sora questioned.

" _We can manage,_ " Sein echoed. " _These enemies are no heavy package._ "

A few more Blanks appeared, prompting the Bearers of Hope to assume their positions and begin the clash anew with bursts of light, slashes and punches all around the foliage of the area.

 _*Music ends*_

Once everything was done, the four heroes took a small moment to rest, complimenting their collective effort all the while. Breaktime came to an abrupt end once a dark entity of shadows came from above, hovering in the air by flapping its shiny black wings.

 _Kingdom Hearts Music - Organization XIII_

"Greetings, children."

"Huh?" Ryo looked up and saw what could only be identified as a crow, its feathers shining because of the nearby light in the background. "Who are you? Another bad guy?"

"Yes, you may see me as the villain here," it said in a sultry baritone. "I am Tsukuyomi, god of destruction. We finally meet, hm?"

"So you're THE Tsukuyomi Genesis told us about, huh?" Sora exclaimed to the dark deity. "Well, then, prepare to be amazed by the power of the light!"

"That can wait, children. For now, my duty is to stop you, and I must comply, for there are greater events to come in the future."

"Come on." Ryo sounded a bit disappointed. "Don't you run from us. We already met, and you ruin it by just leaving?"

"The answers will come until then. We shall meet again."

With those words said, Tsukuyomi flew away into the sky, back to his domain. After that was done, what followed was a deafening screech from beyond the foliage of the forest, proceeded by a dark shadow landing abruptly into the ground, casting winds that pushed everyone present back.

 _*Music stops*_

" _Oh, I remember this shadow,_ " Sein quipped. " _Those feathers, those eyes, that size..._ "

The shadow looked like a hybrid between a crow and an owl, with dark purple feathers, glowing blank eyes and a body of massive proportions.

" _It's her... She who hated our light..._ "

To Ori and Sein, the large bird was very familiar.

" _...Kuro._ "

 _Ori and the Blind Forest Music - Fleeing Kuro_

To Ryo and Sora, the bird seemed to be another Bringer of Despair. They both attacked with everything they had, with metallic claws slashing over the monster, magic projectiles of fire, ice and lightning from the Keyblade, and other variations. Sein tried to shoot sparks of light against the dark being...

...But nothing seemed to make her flinch. Kuro jumped and lunged forward to catch her target, but the heroes dodged in time before they could be grabbed, hiding behind the bushes nearby.

"Okay," Ryo began. "That didn't even tickle her, so... I'm gonna have to think up a plan. Hmmm..."

The human-turned-Pokémon began to look contemplative, lost in his thoughts. Then, he widened his eyes in realization of an idea.

"Got something?" Sora asked.

"This is the plan." Ryo looked towards Kuro's position. "That monster can fly, right? Well, we just have to be faster. If we can outspeed her, we're good."

"Where are you going at with this, Ryo?" Sora looked doubtful at his friend.

"All we need is a quick sprint! You wanna know why, Sora? Because..."

"Because... what?"

 _Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Music - Outlaw!_

"...We gotta make a **RUN FOR IT**!"

Ryo made a quick escape by running back to where he started, and Sora followed him, calling his cowardly companion out.

"Hey! Wait up!"

 _*Music stops*_

Once they were gone, a voice from above resonated in an echo through Ori's mind.

" _Here! I'll put up an exit for you!_ "

A white vortex of light opened, and the two beings of pure light ran through it, coming back to Genesis' realm.

Realm of Genesis - Goddess' Pad

 _Persona 5 Music - Suspicion_

"So you called us for a strategy meeting, right?"

Akira, along with the other Bearers of Hope, were in Genesis' room, sitting on the floor and making a circle. Ryo spoke up.

"Yeah, because there's this giant bird that isn't affected by our attacks. We couldn't even tickle her!"

"Yeah, that didn't go so well." Sora, back in his normal form, frowned a bit. "We need a good plan."

"Let's see..." Shulk began to think deeply, focusing well into his strategy.

"If you need as many people as we can get, then we'll help," Terra offered.

"There has to be a weak spot, isn't there?" Noel suggested.

"Maybe a surprise attack could work." Morgana also looked to be in thought. The cat's suggestion sounded good enough to make Akira pass the word.

As Shulk seemed to get a good idea, he gave out his plan.

"I think I got it. We'll have Ryo, Akira and Noel attack from the front to distract it, while Terra, Arle and Sora attack from the sides with their magic, and then Akira, Morgana and I attack from behind so that we can deal the most damage. That's my suggestion. Does it sound good enough?"

"Yes," Akira agreed. "That could work a whole lot."

"Yeah, you're a nice tactician, Shulk." Morgana nodded.

"Okay, then," Ryo exclaimed while standing up. "Let's roll ou─!"

"Huh? Hey, where's Ori?"

Before he could move, though, the human-turned-Lucario was interrupted when Arle pointed out a missing Bearer of Hope.

"I could swear he was right here just a minute ago."

"Guu?"

Then they all saw a white vortex behind them, confirming their doubts.

"He must have gone through the portal," Terra said with concern.

"We have to go get him before he gets hurt." Sora began to move towards the portal, but he was stopped by Ryo's hand pulling him back.

"No, Sora. Let him be."

"Terra, wait!" Shulk stretched out a hand to reach out for the magical lady in red.

Terra wouldn't let anyone go by their lonesome, so she floated into the vortex herself with no hands to stop her.

"Or," Ryo said while shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe let her go. But for some reason, I feel like the little guy's gonna be okay."

Nibel Forest - Ginso Tree

Under the darkness of the night sky, iluminated by the moon, Ori stood in front of what looked like an open hole in the base of a large tree in the middle of a pond. He kept staring inside, feeling drawn to whatever was in there. He stepped inside, a feeling of curiosity leading him.

Terra came into view, hovering on the ground quickly to find the small creature of light. She saw a tree with a sufficiently large hole for her to fit in, having a feeling that the one she was looking for came in there. Before she could go, however, she was interrupted by an intruder behind her.

"Pardon, miss, but I cannot allow you to continue."

 _Persona 5 Music - Blood of Villain_

Terra turned around and saw a young gentleman dressed in white, wearing a pointy red mask.

"Huh? Who are you?"

"Oh, yes, formalities are in order. I am Goro Akechi, but my allies and a certain friend know me as "Crow". There is no need for you to introduce yourself, young miss. I am only here to carry out orders."

"What? Don't tell me..." Terra moved back in a slight feeling of fear. "Are you another one of the Bringers of Despair?"

"I'm afraid it is the truth." Akechi looked down. A second's passing later, he gazed back at the lady in red, drawing his sword. "That's why I must put an end to your actions. Don't move too much, if you would."

"No... I can't do nothing." Terra moved away a few more inches, directing herself to the hole in the tree. "I have to find Ori! If you try to hurt him, then..." She drew her own sword. "...I'll have to stop you!"

"So be it, miss." The gentleman in white stepped forward into battle, comencing a battle while going inside the tree.

 _Ori and the Blind Forest Music - Restoring the Light, Facing the Dark_

For Terra, it was a race to get to the small child of light. For Akechi, it was a mission he had to carry out successfuly, lest he wanted to raise any more suspicions in his ranks. For Ori, it was something smaller. He was simply wanting to find out what he felt that was calling out to his childish curiosity.

All of them were climbing inside the large tree, jumping from platform to platform, making their rise to their shared destination: the exit at the top.

Ori kept jumping and climbing the vegetation on the walls, ascending at a faster pace than the dueling warriors below him. Terra tried to push back her assaulting pursuer with flaming projectiles, chunks of ice, electric jolts and spheres of light, all of them small and used sparingly to avoid accidentally damaging the environment.

"There is no need to worry," Akechi said while avoiding the magic projectiles coming his way. "It will all be over soon."

"But I..." Terra swung her sword when the enemy came too close. "I have to protect him! I can't leave Ori alone!"

There was a loud cling as both swords clashed, releasing small inoffensive sparks.

"Yes," Akechi began. "There are allies that we all wish to protect, but the circumstances may as well slow you down. I am only here to fulfill my duties."

Above the dueling warriors, Ori kept outpacing them, still jumping and climbing without a single sign of fatigue in his sprint. His curiosity was the only thing that drove him forward, intending to reach his intended destination to see just what was there, at the top of the tree. No greater purpose. But... He felt a stronger drive in his curious nature. He felt that he was missing something... A remembrance that he could not grasp clearly... Something in him that was locked away... Yes! Of course! He had to find that which he lost!

Go, little one! Find the past that has been stolen from you!

Back with the fight below, Akechi commanded his Persona, Robin Hood, to fire an arrow at Terra. The lady of magic almost got hit, dodging in time as she felt the arrow scratch her bare shoulder. Terra retaliated by approaching the enemy and clashing her sword against the opponent's, pushing them back. The blow gave the magical lady the momentum she needed to go up quicker, managing to near the top of the tree.

"(She managed to escape...)" Akechi thought indifferently. "(Well, it wouldn't hurt to see them have a little reunion, but it would also garner the reprimands of a few disappointed comrades. I'll just be on my way.)" He retreated into a dark portal, back to Tsukuyomi's Pad.

"Don't worry," Terra said. "Mama's here to protect you." She flew through a hole that lead to the top of the tree, and she saw Ori, standing there, staring far into the tree of light that was beyond the horizon.

 _*Music stops*_

Ori only started to recall what he saw. The tree over there must have some kind of connection to him. What could it be? If his memories weren't so hazy, he would know the answer. He just needed to know more by going there. He felt the need to go to the tree beyond the distance.

The musings were interrupted when a familiar shadow of dark feathers flew into view from below, startling the two Bearers of Hope present. It then landed on Ori, the talon pushing him painfully to the floor. Terra noticed this and started to worry a bit more for the little child of light.

"Ori!"

 _Dissidia Music - Order That Must Be Protected_

The lady in red ran in front of the crow-owl hybrid, conveying a message.

"Please, don't hurt him! I came here to make sure he was okay, and I want to protect him like a mother would do to her child. If you do anything bad to him... If you drop him down to the abyss... I... I'll... I'll make you pay! I wouldn't stand to see him injured beyond salvation, so, please, leave him be! I must protect him with all I have!"

The dark bird stood still, maintaining its posture. There was something in its eyes that looked like it was paying attention. Those hellish, glowing white eyes. Did it hear Terra's plea? Did something within it resonate? After a moment's passing, it flew away into the dark night, leaving the Bearers of Hope behind.

"Ori!" Terra picked the being of light and embraced him in a hug. "I was worried sick! Are you hurt? I'll take you back to Genesis and the others. You're going to be safe back there."

Ori couldn't place it very well in his mind, but something about Terra made him reminisce a little. He could feel something escaping the grasp of his thoughts. A memory. A familiar feeling of being caressed by a pair of delicate hands. There was also a word forming in his mind, related to the experience of being nurtured. Something that would be the catalyst for what he needed to acquire.

 _Mother._ That was the term that entered his thoughts. But how important was all of this? He got his answer when the warm feeling of love reached him.

Those same feelings were the catalyst for the one treasure he needed to acquire: the Hope, which took the form of a glowing white-blue sphere with a spiral drawn in it. Terra noticed the glowing item appear and let go of Ori when she saw it. The Hope descended into the child of light's hands, grasping it and raising it above his eyes.

Yes. This was what Ori must have been looking for. His answer.

 _Final Fantasy Music - The Prelude_

 _With a little aid from his allies, as well as some searching,  
Ori found a hint towards his true destiny.  
_

 _With Hope in hands, he keeps moving towards what may happen,  
seeking answers everywhere  
with the hope that, sometime soon, he will have his recollection restored._

 _It is not a moment to stop now;  
the young light of the forest must follow the path he chose._


End file.
